When it comes to smart speakers, Amazon's Echo, Google's Nest Audio, and Apple's HomePod Mini are currently the three most popular models.
They all do pretty much the same thing: give you answers, control your home, make phone calls, and even let you play music, all using your voice.
They even cost the same at around $99.
However, these three little speakers do have some notable differences in terms of size, design, and sound quality, and your experience with each one will vary depending on which Apple, Google, and Amazon products you already own.
Not sure which smart speaker is for you?
We've tested the Echo, Nest Audio, and HomePod Mini extensively, and we're ready to help you make that decision.
Amazon Echo, Nest Audio, and HomePod Mini specs
Buy an Amazon Echo if...
Buy it on Amazon for
USD$99 or
MX$1,299
You want a speaker that doubles as a smart home hub
The 4th Gen Echo isn't just a smart speaker, it can also help bring smart home devices online and keep them connected using its built-in Zigbee hub.
Thanks to the combination of the Alexa app and Zigbee, setting up additional smart home devices is a painless process.
The Echo finds nearby compatible smart home devices and asks if you want to use Alexa to control them.
While other smart speakers require you to have a dedicated hub to, say, pair a set of Philips Hue lights, the Echo lets you do it all from one device.
How does Alexa work?
Two Amazon experts explain
You want the most robust and reliable smart assistant
Amazon started the smart speaker craze with its Alexa digital assistant, and in our tests, it's generally proven to be the quickest to respond, and capable of doing the most things.
For example, you can ask Alexa through the Echo to turn the lights on or off, run a custom smart home routine, and more.
If you shop on Amazon often, you can not only place orders with your voice, for example, "Alexa orders more toilet paper", but also receive updates on any Amazon delivery.
A short chime and yellow LED light let you know there's an alert, which will then tell you when to expect delivery of your last order.
Sure it's useful, but it can also be dangerous, especially if your kid asks Alexa for the new Lego set.
You want the loudest sound possible
While all of these speakers sound good, we found the 4th-gen Echo to deliver the loudest, loudest audio of the bunch.
It got noticeably louder than the Nest Audio and HomePod Mini in our side-by-side tests, and it doesn't distort noticeably at full volume.
You have more Echo devices
With Amazon's Echo lineup, you can place audio calls (or video, for devices that support it, like the echo Show) to other Echo devices and talk to friends or loved ones.
Once a family member adds you as an approved contact, you'll be able to "Sign In" on their Echo device(s) whenever you want to have a quick chat or see how their day went.
Buy a Nest Audio if...
buy it for
USD$99 or
MX$2,499
You want a smart Bluetooth speaker
Not only can you ask the Google Assistant to play your favorite songs, podcast or other audio service, but you can also connect to Nest Audio from any Bluetooth-enabled device and use Nest Audio as an external speaker.
To be clear, you can also use an Echo as a Bluetooth speaker, but Apple's HomePod Mini lacks the same feature.
For the Nest, you'll need to use the Home app for the initial pairing process, but after you can say "Hey Google" or "Ok Google", followed by "Connect" you can pair your phone, computer or tablet.
You want to adjust music playback and use multiple speakers
The Nest Audio sounds pretty good out of the box, but we appreciate that you can adjust the audio within the Google Home app for iOS and Android.
Amazon offers a similar feature for Echo speakers in the Alexa app, but you won't find any customization options on the HomePod Mini.
And while all three of these speakers support multi-room audio (you can pair multiple Echoes, Nests, or HomePods to spread sound throughout your home), we found Nest Audio to offer the smoothest pairing process.
It took us about 10 seconds to pair two Nest Audio devices and assign them as separate left and right speakers, creating a more immersive stereo mix with minimal hassle.
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You trust Google services
Nest Audio uses the Google Assistant for all voice interactions, which is the same assistant that Android phones and tablets rely on when you use the phrase "OK Google" or "Hey Google" before asking for things like a phone update. weather or to check the hours of a local store.
Using the Google Assistant, Nest Audio can do things like look up your daily schedule from Google Calendar, or leverage Voice Match to identify who's speaking so you can get personalized responses, or play podcasts or music from your linked streaming accounts.
If you use the Google Home app on your iPhone or Android phone to control smart home devices, then a Nest Audio is an option for you.
You can still use the Home app on your phone, but you can also use the Google Assistant to control lights, adjust the temperature in your home, or control any of the hundreds of smart home devices that work with Google Home.
Buy a HomePod Mini if...
Buy it from Apple for
USD$99 or
MX$2,599
you have little space
The HomePod Mini is the smallest of the leading smart speakers, with a design that's roughly the size of an apple.
It's easier to fit into a tight space than the 4th-gen Echo or Nest Audio, and it's the lightest of these speakers for when you need to take it with you.
You want the boldest color options
Apple's smart speaker comes in yellow, orange, blue, white, and space gray, giving it the most color options of the bunch, and certainly the boldest.
If you want a smart speaker that can really stand out, it's worth looking at the newer yellow, orange and blue options.
You use an iPhone
HomePod Mini relies on Siri — yes, the same Siri used by iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch — for any voice interaction.
All of your Apple devices are smart enough to know when they're near each other, so when you say "Hey Siri" near a HomePod Mini, your Apple Watch or iPhone will let the smart speaker respond.
You can then use Siri to play from your Apple Music library, control your smart home devices, send messages, or request your daily schedule.
You can even use a HomePod Mini to make or receive a phone call.
We found the HomePod Mini especially easy to set up with our iPhone, thanks to a quick pairing process that only took about three minutes.
You use Apple's HomeKit platform
Going beyond the iPhone, if you already have smart home devices in your house like light switches, thermostats, or a doorbell that integrate directly with Apple's HomeKit platform, then you should add a HomePod Mini to your setup.
Not only does it let you use Siri for voice commands and interactions, but a HomePod Mini doubles as a HomeKit Hub.
That means you can control smart home devices when you're not home.
In conclusion
The choice between the three different smart speakers starts with the type of phone you have.
Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant work with an Android or iPhone, so an Echo or Google Home is flexible.
The HomePod Mini (
USD$99 or
MX$2,599) is the best option for Apple users and anyone with an iPhone.
From there, you can narrow down at least one option as you continue to examine your needs and wants for a smart speaker.
The echo (
USD$99 or
MX$1,299) works with almost all smart home devices and platforms, with Nest Audio (
USD$99 or
MX$2,499) right behind it, and finally, the HomePod Mini's deep integration with Apple makes it a must-have for any iPhone user.
Factors like sound quality and space are also worth considering: the Echo will sound better, while the HomePod Mini will fit more easily into any space.
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