Tag: google home mini

Google Home Mini, Google Home Launched In India Starting Rs 4499

Google has launched its first-ever line of smart speakers in India at an event in Delhi. The company has launched its most affordable offering, the Google Home Mini for Rs 4499 and the mid-range Google Home for Rs 9999.

The Google Home Mini and Home will compete with Amazon Echo Dot and Echo, which were launched in India back in October 2017. The smart speaker industry in India is starting to pick up its pace as more companies are introducing their smart speakers in India. Recently, another Echo Dot/Home Mini alternate, Eufy Genie was launched in India which is available for Rs 3980 via Amazon. The Eufy Genie is powered Alexa, Amazon’s AI assistant. The Google Home and Home Mini, on the other hand, are powered by the Google Assistant, the company’s own AI assistant.

These smart speakers function only if they’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. The speakers act as great music players but once connected they can be used to also control different smart home accessories like a smart bulb. Additionally, these speakers can schedule a task, set an alarm, ask for trivia or the latest news.

Google Home Specs

Available in two colour variants, one with White, while the other a Slate fabric finish. The larger smart speaker has a 2 inch driver with dual 2 inch passive radiators. The speaker requires 16.5 Volts and 2A current, which is why the speaker has to be connected to a power source at all times. One can connect to these speakers using an iOS or Android smartphone using the Google Home app. The speaker supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi Bands. Additionally, these speakers can connect with each other to run as a single set of speakers or for multi-room playback.

Weight (g)	477
Supported Audio Formats	HE-AAC, LC-AAC, MP3, Vorbis, WAV (LPCM), FLAC, Opus
Wireless network	802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz) Wi-Fi
Speaker	2in driver + dual 2in passive radiators
Connections	DC power jack, Micro-USB port (for service only)

Google Home Mini Specs

The Mini has a similar functionality in a compact form factor. The speaker is available in three different finishes, which includes Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral. Due to smaller form factor, it requires 5 Volts and 1.8 Amps power. However, it packs in a smaller speaker, which might not be able to fill out even a small room.

Weight Approximate	173 g
Height	4.2 cm
Colour	Chalk
Sound System	360° Circle Sound
Wireless Speakers	Yes
Power Source	Power Adapter

Buy The Google Home here

April 10, 2018

Google Home Smart Speakers Will Launch Exclusively On Flipkart

Google India is hosting an event on the 10th of April for the launch of the Google Home smart speakers. Flipkart has now made a dedicated page for the Google Home speakers. The Flipkart page features a Google Home and Google Home Mini with a hashtag #MakeGoogleDoIt. Additionally, the page also mentions different capabilities of these devices like hands-free play and pause gestures.

The Google Home and the Google Home Mini are the first set of smart speakers from the company which will also be powered by the Google Assistant. These smart speakers need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network. The speakers act as great music players but once connected they can be used to also control different smart home accessories like a smart bulb. Additionally, these speakers can also be used to schedule a task, set an alarm, ask for trivia or the latest news.

As of now, the only competition the Google’s smart speaker lineup is the Amazon Echo series of smart speakers. Amazon had launched the Echo Plus, Echo, and Echo Dot in India for a price of Rs 14,990, 9,999, and 4,499 respectively. Considering these prices, the Google Home and Google Home Mini are likely to be priced at Rs 9,999 and Rs 4,499 respectively. However, the official price might vary a bit.

Google Home Specs

Available in two color variants one with White, while the other a Slate fabric finish. The larger smart speaker has a 2 inch driver with dual 2 inch passive radiators. The speaker requires 16.5 Volts and 2A current, which is why the speaker is needed to be connected to a power source at all times. One can connect to these speakers using an iOS or Android smartphone using the Google Home app. The speaker supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi Bands . Additionally, these speakers can be connected to run as a single set of speakers or for multi room playback.

Weight (g)	477
Supported Audio Formats	HE-AAC, LC-AAC, MP3, Vorbis, WAV (LPCM), FLAC, Opus
Wireless network	802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz) Wi-Fi
Speaker	2in driver + dual 2in passive radiators
Connections	DC power jack, Micro-USB port (for service only)

Google Home Mini Specs

The Mini has a similar functionality in a compact form factor. The speaker will launch in three different finishes, which includes Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral. Due to smaller form factor, it requires 5 Volts and 1.8 Amps power. However, it packs in a smaller speaker, which might not be able to fill out even a small room.

Weight Approximate	173 g
Height	4.2 cm
Colour	Chalk
Sound System	360° Circle Sound
Wireless Speakers	Yes
Power Source	Power Adapter

April 6, 2018

Google Home, Home Mini To Launch In India On April 10th

Google has sent out an invite to a new product launch on the 10th Of April in New Delhi. The official press invites says ‘join us as we bring you a sweet little something that’s bound to keep you talking for a long, long while.’ The company will launch the Google Home and Home Mini.

The Google Home and Home Mini are the first set of smart speakers from Google, powered by the Google Assistant. These smart speakers need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network, where they can be used to control different smart home accessories like a smart bulb. Additionally, these speakers can also be used to schedule a task, set an alarm, ask for trivia or the latest news.

As of now, the only competition the Google Home has is the Amazon Echo series of smart speakers. Amazon had launched the Echo Plus, Echo, and Echo Dot in India for a price of Rs 14,990, 9,999, and 4,499 respectively. Considering these prices, the Home and Home Mini are likely to be priced at Rs 9,999 and Rs 4,499 respectively.

Google Home Specs

The Google Home comes in White and Slate fabric finish. The smart speaker has a 2 inch driver with dual 2 inch passive radiators. The speaker requires 16.5 Volts and 2A current, which is needed to be connected to a power source all the time. One can connect to these speakers using an iOS or Android smartphone. The speaker supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi Bands for high-performance streaming. Additionally, these speakers can be connected to the same device to have group playback.

Google Home Mini Specs

The Google Home Mini has a similar functionality in a compact form factor. The speaker comes in three different finish, which includes Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral. Due to smaller form factor, it requires 5 Volts and 1.8 Amps power. However, it packs in a smaller speaker, which might not be able to fill out even a small room.

April 2, 2018
Mid-Range Google Pixel To Launch In India Soon

Google Pixel series of smartphones are known for their unprecedented camera capabilities. However, unlike Moto or Xiaomi smartphones, the Pixel devices retail at a higher price tag. Google is now targeting markets like India, which has a huge demand for smartphones priced between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. According to a report, Google is planning to launch an Indian market specific device in July-August, which includes an affordable Pixel smartphone, Pixelbook and Nest devices. Additionally, the company will launch the Pixel 3 series of smartphones by Diwali.

If we look at the numbers, Google sold 3.9 million Pixel smartphones globally in 2017 while Apple sold 214.9 million devices. The existence of offline stores and affordable iPhone models like the iPhone SE has helped Apple to achieve these sale figures. Additionally, Google is still new to the hardware game and Apple has already established itself as a premium brand.

Pixel 2

Mid Range Google Pixel Specs

According to a report, Google will launch the mid-range Google Pixel smartphone and a Pixelbook in India by August 2018. However, the report does not specify the pricing or specifications of these devices. Along with these, the company might also launch the Nest series of smart home accessories. The Nest series of accessories comprises a thermostat and other smart home accessories.

Get ready to #MakeGoogleDoIt, at home too. Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/JuNvt3cpFE

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) April 2, 2018

Google will begin this launch by announcing the Google Home products. The company will launch the Google Home and Home Mini to take on the competition like the Amazon Echo speakers. The Home mini will retail for Rs 4,499 and the Home will retail at Rs 9,999. This time around, the company will focus on the offline market through brick and mortar stores. This means Google is most likely to set up stores in crowded places like malls and electronics stores.

April 2, 2018
Google Home Smart Speakers To Launch In India In April

The smart speakers industry has been thriving globally for a couple of years now. The Apple HomePod has recently joined the Amazon’s Echo lineup and Google’s Home speakers. In India, however, the only notable smart speakers available are the Amazon Echo speakers and the recently launched Eufy Genie. That is about to change, as Google will launch its Home smart speakers in India some time in April.

A new report claims that Reddington India has apparently communicated with its retailers about the scheduled launch. Right now, Google has three smart speakers in its Home lineup.], the Google Home Mini, Home and Home Max. In India, however, the company will to launch just the Home Mini and Home.

The Google Home Mini, launched as a competitor to the Amazon Echo Dot will launched at under Rs 5000. The smart home craze is still at a very nascent stage in India so, it will be interesting to see the battle between Google and Amazon here.

Of course, the Google Assistant powers the Home speakers. The smart speakers will be able to play songs, set reminders and call people with just a voice command. If users have smart products installed, the speakers will be able to control those as well. The Google Home smart speakers are expected to be optimised with local Indian languages, just like its AI assistant is.

The pricing here will play a huge part in consumers choosing the Google Home speakers over the Amazon Echo lineup. More details will follow.

March 29, 2018
Google Sold More Than One Google Home Device Every Second Since October

On the 4th of October, Google took to stage to launch the Pixel 2 devices along with the highly anticipated cheaper version of the Google Home, called the Google Home Mini. As much exciting the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices were, the Home Mini and the Home Max really caught people’s attention. Even though Amazon really opened up the smart speaker market with its line of Echo speakers, Google appears to be the company that has benefited from the surge in demand for more smart home tech.

Google Home Mini

In a blog post, Google announced the success of its ‘Home’ lineup:

So it’s no wonder we’ve sold tens of millions of all our Google devices for the home over this last year. And in fact, we sold more than one Google Home device every second since Google Home Mini started shipping in October.

[amazon_link asins=’B071NB4PGV’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’igyaan-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’ab6d61d0-f2a4-11e7-8545-8583a883cf2e’]

2017 was an important year of Google’s hardware, and where the Pixel 2 devices failed to meet the soaring expectations, the Google Home devices have been extremely well received. Before October od 2017, Google had one speaker, the Google Home which was sounded okay, but, wasn’t really affordable and the Amazon Echo Dot was available for less than half its price. Before the October launch event, there were rumours that Google will launch an Echo Dot competitive and so it did. The Home Mini was launched at a price of US $49 (Rs. 3,100 approx.) and came down to as low as US $20 during the holiday season.

Amazon Echo Dot Is Now Available In India

While the Home Mini was for people who were just starting out with the whole smart home setup, the Google Home Max was for people who didn’t mind spending a lot of extra cash for a special sounding smart speaker. While the Home Mini, shaped like a doughnut can easily gel with your furniture and not attract a lot of attention, the Home Max is massive and will grab a lot of attention because of how it looks. It is also priced at US $399 (Rs. 25,000 approx.) which is definitely pricey for a smart speaker. Google Home Max has two 4.5-inch woofers with tweeters covered by a fabric speaker grill. It features touch controls, supports Bluetooth as well as Google Cast and has a 3.5mm audio jack.

Google Home Max

It also appears that more Google Assistant-powered devices are on the cards as CES rolls around:

And next week, we have even more things in store for the Assistant at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. If you’re at CES, stop by the Google Assistant Playground (Central Plaza-21) to check out some of our new integrations, devices, and the newest ways you can use your Assistant.

While the Pixel 2 devices had their stumbling blocks due to both hardware and software shortcoming, the Google Home devices, especially after that initial hiccup have been rather successful for the company. There is still no word from the company about the Google Home devices being launched in Asian markets such as India. But, with Amazon introducing its three Echo speakers in India, Google Home devices might not be too far away either.

January 6, 2018
Another Hint That Google Is Working On A Touch Enabled Google Home

A new job listing by Google spotted online suggests that the company is indeed working on a touchscreen Google Home. The job listing reads:

In this role, you’ll work on the next generation of Google Hardware to enable the best multi-touch user experience.

Google might be working on a multi-touch Google Home as a rival to Amazon’s Echo Show. Multi-touch gestures could also find their way to speakers like the next revision of the Home and Home Max.

Google has not had the best of times with its hardware this year. Back in October, its Google Home Mini speaker forced the company to permanently disable the touch sensor at the top of that device. That happened because of some bug, the Home Mini was recording everything around it even when no command was given. And while the decision to protect the customer privacy was the right one and to Google’s credit, it worked on the fix right away but, doing so crippled some of the Google Home Mini’s capabilities and appeal.

Even Google’s Pixel phones have received a lot of flak for its under-performing hardware. It will be interesting to see Google’s approach to its products from now on and the integration of AI and machine learning in it upcoming smart devices.

December 11, 2017
Google Home With Touchscreen Display Spotted In The Official Google App

Google has been battling with Amazon in the smart speaker space since launching the Google Home. Google Home was the only smart speaker made by Google until 4th of October when it launched a new variant of the smart speaker, the Google Home Mini. It is speculated that the Google Home Mini was launched to compete with the inexpensive Amazon Echo Dot and had the same price as well (US $49). Amazon recently launched the Echo Show, which is a smart speaker with a touchscreen display and it appears that Google is working on a touchscreen smart speaker as well, as found by Android Police.

Amazon Echo Show

This seems to corroborate with a report from TechCrunch in September which suggested that Google was working on a table top smart screen device codenamed ‘Manhattan’ which would compete with the Amazon Echo Show. A deep study into the the APK of 7.14.15 beta version of the Google app found references to multiple on-display features such as notifications, YouTube video playback, photo galleries, Google Maps with business listings and more. The code throughout the app references “Quartz” that operates using voice commands.

The reference to Quartz can be found in many strings

<activity android:name=”com.google.android.apps.gsa.monet.quartz.QuartzMonetActivity” android:exported=”false” android:process=”:search” android:taskAffinity=”” android:theme=”@style/Quartz.TransparentNavBar” />

The reference of Quartz suggests that Google intends it for kitchen use as the study of the app points to a screen that can be used to display recipes and timers. The weather function referenced in Quartz offers 32 different dedicated icons showing everything from a sunny day to blizzards and hurricanes.

The new smart speaker will display cooking recipes

Google has an array of smart home devices ranging from smart speakers to wireless streaming devices like the ChromeCast. Coming up with a touchscreen smart speaker to compete with the Echo Show makes sense for Google and make full use of its AI and software integration. Also, the “Quartz” will play YouTube videos, unlike the Echo Show.

The Google smart speaker will play YouTube videos unlike the Echo Show

October 24, 2017
Some Google Home Minis Just Won’t Stop Listening To You

Google recently hosted its launch event on October 4th and announced the new Google Home Mini. A US$49 smart speaker to compete with Amazon Echo Dot but, with Google’s own AI Google Assistant. The Home Mini was available for pre-orders from 4th October and some of the early units shipped have a defect that was anticipated due to the “always listening” feature.

Smart home products are a great addition and smart speakers like the Amazon Echo, Google Home do make your life easier with voice commands. But, the fact that these speakers are always listening to you and how much of that is recorded and sent back to the company is a cause for scepticism in the minds of a lot of consumers.

Artem Russakovskii of Android Police had his Google Home Mini delivered a few days ago and started experiencing abnormality in the smart speaker’s behaviour. The speaker won’t respond to most of the commands and the reason turned out to be the fact that it was constantly being triggered to listen to commands.

Google has responded to this defect and acknowledged that some of the Google Home Minis do have this serious issue :

We have learned of an issue impacting a small number of Google Home Minis that could cause the touch mechanism to behave incorrectly. We are rolling out a software update today that should address the issue.

Google says that the long press function, also found on the Google Home is at the centre of this issue. The Home Mini fell prey to a “phantom touch” issue wherein it registered a physical long press and started listening to the users in order to provide an answer. Google however, was quick to work on fixing this major privacy issue. A minor software update has been already pushed to Home Mini which disables that hardware gesture, leaving the Home Mini only accessible via the “OK Google” command. Google has already updated its documentation to reflect that this is temporarily disabled, and it may stay that way once units are fully available on the market.

October 11, 2017
Google Launches The Google Home Mini For US$49

Sundar Pichai took to stage during the Google launch event on 4th October and talked about the importance of AI in the future of technology. Google has launched a new iteration of Google’s smart speaker, the Home Mini. The Google Home Mini will compete with Amazon Echo Dot in the market of mini smart speakers. The Google Home Mini is designed to fit into the aesthetics of your home with a circular shape. The speaker will be available in Coral, Charcoal and Chalk. To make the competition with Amazon Echo Dot even, the smart speaker will be available for US$49.

The Home Mini has a 360-degree sound stage. For more sound, the Google Home Mini can be connected with a different speaker. Google Home Mini is powered by Google Assistant and has the intelligence to differentiate the voice of different people in the house and perform actions based on the voice.

Google has partnered with Disney to bring Disney originals to the experience of Google Home. This is done in the bid to improve the interaction of Google Assistant with kids.

The Google Home Mini can perform a series of tasks with one command. it can find your phone even if it is on silent by a simple “find my phone” command.

The Google Home Mini will be available to pre-order from 4th October.

October 4, 2017