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Oct 08, 2018 Two speakers are better than one. The speaker on the 3rd generation Amazon Echo Dot is bigger and better than the 2nd generation — a 1.6-inch speaker instead of a 0.6-inch speaker — but why. Important changes between the Amazon Echo Dot 2nd vs 3rd Generation What’s new in the 3rd Generation Echo Dot? As said in the beginning of this post, the Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation has changed in terms of hardware dimensions as well as aesthetics, which sets it apart from the 2nd Gen and even 1st Gen Dots.
Tiny and LOUD
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen)
Clever and colorful
Google Home Mini
Amazon has refined its smart speaker design and doubled down on audio quality to make a great system with an even better price tag. Alexa is still not nearly as good to use as Google Assistant, however.
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Pros
- Incredibly good speakers for its size
- Great microphones
- 3.5mm output for bigger speakers
While colorful and compact, the microphone and speakers on the Google Home Mini just scream 'you get what you pay for' when it comes to quality.
Pros
- Google Assistant is excellent
- Speaker colors are fun
Cons
- Microphones are just OK
- Speaker isn't particularly loud
- No 3.5mm jack for bigger speakers
Google and Amazon are competing for control of your home, and right now it's a battle of superior hardware and superior software. With exception of the Google Home Max, the Home line isn't particularly well recognized for its audio quality. The Google Home Mini was designed to be the cheap Home you could put in any room in the house so Assistant could be there for you everywhere, and it accomplishes that goal just fine. However, it isn't until you put it next to the new Amazon Echo Dot that you see just how massive the difference in audio quality really is.
Loud and tiny and surprisingly good
Amazon's Echo Dot has always been the speaker you buy because it was cheap and it connects to bigger speakers if you actually want to listen to music. The 3.5mm jack is a big deal for making an otherwise generic speaker suddenly much smarter, something only the Echo Dot has ever had for some reason. Google's Home Mini was able to outperform the previous Echo Dot, but that was an incredibly low bar. This year, Amazon dropped in a vastly superior speaker with the 3rd Gen Echo Dot and the difference between it and Google Home Mini couldn't be more clear.
However, that huge speaker increase didn't come at some other sacrifice. The 3.5mm jack is still there, the microphones are still great, and the speaker itself is still nice and small. The only real downside to this speaker from a hardware perspective is the huge new power adapter you have to use with it. The Micro-USB port of the previous generation is gone, making it a little more difficult to plug in anywhere and have Alexa at the ready.
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen) | Google Home Mini | |
---|---|---|
Dimensions | 99mm x 43mm @ 300g | 98mm x 42mm @ 173g |
Speaker | 1.6-inch speaker | 40mm driver |
Microphone | 4 (far-field voice recognition) | 2 (far-field voice recognition) |
Power | 15W through unique power adapter | 5V, 1.8A through Micro-USB |
3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Microphone mute | Button on top | Switch in the back |
Google's Home Mini is clearly inferior as a hardware product, but there's no denying Google Assistant is superior to Alexa in just about every way. It's easier to use, you have access to more useful features, and the multi-account system on Google Assistant actually works. Google Assistant simply has access to more of your life, and is able to use that information to be more useful to you. Alexa is mostly just in your house for now, and unless you do a lot of shopping through Alexa there isn't a compelling reason to use it over Assistant most of the time.
The hardwear calculus changes though when you compare the updated Nest Mini (2nd Gen) to the Echo Dot (3rd Gen). The improvements to the speaker, microphones, and on-device intellegence make that Google/Nest device a no-brainer to buy.
The choice comes down to hardware versus software. If you're deep in the Google ecosystem and don't care so much about speaker quality, you should participate in the Google Home ecosystem with a Home Mini. However, if you know you're alright with Alexa being limited or all you really care about is a cheap speaker to stream music to, you absolutely want to get yourself an Echo Dot.
Surprisingly loud
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen)
The best little connected speaker you can buy
Amazon has refined its smart speaker design and doubled down on audio quality to make a great system with an even better price tag. Alexa is still not nearly as good to use as Google Assistant, however.
Surprisingly capable
Google Home Mini
Feature-complete speaker
While colorful and compact, the microphone and speakers on the Google Home Mini just scream 'you get what you pay for' when it comes to quality.
Nicely done, Nest
Nest Mini (2nd Gen)
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Improved assistant and better bass
There isn't much room in such a small device for large improvements, but somehow Nest pulled it off. 2 X better bass and more on-device smarts make this a smart buy.
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Pump up the VolumePump up your Echo Dot Kids' Edition with these Bluetooth speakers
Unfortunately, the speaker found on the Echo Dot Kids isn't the best. Luckily, there are plenty of speaker options available on the market for you to pair with the Echo Dot Kids. Here are a few of our favorite choices and why.
With the introduction of the third generation of Echo Dot smart speaker, Amazon has significantly improved their little device compared to the previous two generations. With the integrated Alexa assistant, Echo Dot serves as an interface that lets you easily control devices in your smart home.There are two ways you can connect your iPhone to Echo Dot –through the Alexa app, or over a Bluetooth connection. While the app lets you manage Echo Dot from your phone, Bluetooth allows you to play music on the device’s speaker.To connect the two devices, follow the instructions in the next two sections.Before you begin, you’ll need to install the Alexa app from the ’s App Store. If you already have the app installed, please check that it’s updated to the latest version.
Connecting to Echo Dot with the Alexa AppWith the Alexa App ready, you can proceed to pair your iPhone with Echo Dot:. First, open the Alexa app. Tap the “Devices” icon in the lower right corner. Tap the “Plus” sign in the top right corner.
Tap “Add Device”. Tap the “Amazon Echo” icon. Tap “Echo Dot”. Tap the right generation of your Echo Dot.Now it’s time to turn on your Echo Dot:. Connect it to the power outlet.
The device will power up. Wait until the blue light ring turns orange. That’s the sign Echo Dot entered the Setup Mode. Now the Echo Dot image should appear on your iPhone. Tap it.Next, you need to set the Wi-Fi connection:.
Go to the Wi-Fi settings on your iPhone. Find your Echo Dot in the list of available networks. The name should start with “Amazon”. Go back to the Alexa app. Tap “Continue” on the screen with the message “Continue Echo Dot Setup”. The app will enter its Wi-Fi settings, listing the available networks.
Tap the network you want your Echo Dot to connect to. If required, enter the Wi-Fi password.The final steps:. When asked if you want to use an external speaker with Echo Dot, tap “Skip” if you’ll use the Echo Dot’s own speaker. Of course, you can add the external speaker later. As the final step, select one of the rooms defined in your household where you’ll keep your Echo Dot.
If needed, you can create a new room from this menu.Connecting via BluetoothBeside its Wi-Fi connection, you can connect to Echo Dot over a Bluetooth. This way you’ll be able to play audio from your iPhone or iPad.Due to the nature of its Bluetooth capabilities, Echo Dot can’t simultaneously connect to more than one device.
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