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Google Nest is reportedly working on the release of a second-generation version of the Google Home Mini named the Nest Mini, according an anonymous source who spoke with 9to5Google.
The Nest Mini will be about the same size as the first-gen Google Home Mini — about the size of a hockey puck — but will have higher-volume sound and better bass. A VentureBeat test review found that the Home Mini emits better sound than Amazon’s 2nd-gen Echo Dot.
The Echo Dot and Home Mini are routinely two of the top-selling smart speakers in the world.
The Nest Mini will also come with a wall mount, an addition that could help the speaker remain as unobtrusive as possible. Third-party manufacturers first made wall and ceiling mounts for small smart speakers, but a first-party offering could become popular, potentially doing away with the eyesore and clutter of cords. Mounts may also make it easier to place a speaker in multiple rooms of a home.
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The Nest Mini will also reportedly have proximity awareness to detect when a person is nearby and include a 3.5mm stereo jack. It is not yet known if the jack will support audio input or output. A price has not been determined, the source said, but is likely to remain around $49.
The Nest Mini could make its debut at the Made by Google hardware event this fall, perhaps alongside the Pixel 4. The first Google Home Mini made its debut at the event held in San Francisco in October 2017.
Google Nest will release the Home Hub Max, a 10-inch smart display with facial recognition, on September 9.
