Apple released the HomePod smart speaker a few years ago, and since then it's been the company's only smart speaker (and therefore the only Siri-enabled smart speaker on the market). At $300, it also stood as one of the more expensive smart speakers, especially as Amazon's and Google's models have since dipped well below $100. Now Apple has finally announced a more affordable Siri-enabled smart speaker. At $99, the HomePod Mini is positioned to directly face the new Amazon Echo and Google Nest Audio.
Now you have a choice among $100 speakers for whether you want to use Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, or Google Assistant as your smart voice assistant. So far we've only tested the Google Assistant-enabled Nest Audio (and previous versions of the Echo and HomePod speakers), but we can still compare the size, features, and power of all three new models to see how they stack up against each other.
Size and Shape
Apparently "orb" is the new favored smart speaker shape, as Amazon and Apple have embraced it. Both the HomePod Mini and new Amazon Echo are spherical speakers, the former standing 3.5 inches tall and the latter measuring 5.7 inches. The Nest Audio is bigger than both, with a soap-bar shape that stands 6.9 inches tall.
Voice Assistant
This is the big platform difference between the three speakers. The HomePod Mini uses Apple's Siri, the Amazon Echo uses Amazon's Alexa, and the Nest Home uses Google Assistant. All three voice assistants are useful, but they're also mutually exclusive; if you already stick to one voice assistant because you have other smart speakers or talk to your phone regularly, you can't easily jump to another voice assistant and keep all of your settings intact across systems. It's best to make a firm choice on which voice assistant you want to use.
If you're a big Apple user, obviously Siri will be preferable, while Google Assistant is on every recent Android smartphone. However, both Alexa and Google Assistant can work on Android and iOS phones, as well as some other devices, so you aren't locked into Siri if you have an iPhone. You just can't use Siri if you have an Android phone or a Windows PC.
All three voice assistants work well, though Alexa is a step behind Google Assistant and Siri in natural language recognition. You generally have to be more precise in your requests to Alexa compared with Google Assistant and Siri, and that can be frustrating unless you're willing to get used to the syntax. On the flip side, Alexa supports the most third-party skills of the three voice assistants, though most third-party skills feel more like novelties than must-use features.
Smart Home Control
Alexa has a slight edge in terms of the number of supported smart home devices, but virtually all major brands work with both Alexa and Google Assistant. Unless they're obscure, deep-discount smart lights, you can safely assume they'll work with either.
Siri is a bit more limited, because it works through Apple's HomeKit ecosystem. That means you need to look for smart home devices that specifically have HomeKit on the box. There are fewer options, but most big names are present on the list. Just be aware that your options on the HomePod Mini might be more limited than they would be on the Echo or Nest Audio.
Music
We haven't tested the latest Amazon Echo or the HomePod Mini yet, but we can look at their components and features, and how they stream music. You can listen to music on any smart speaker by simply asking for it, but each varies in the services it can stream from, and exactly what you can play through it. Alexa works with Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and Audible. Google Assistant works with YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, Pandora, Deezer, and iHeartRadio. Siri works with Apple Music, along with iHeartRadio, Radio.com, and TuneIn.
If your favorite streaming service isn't included, all three speakers also support Bluetooth, so you can stream directly from your phone. The Nest Audio includes Google Cast, so you can also stream over Wi-Fi from Google Cast-compatible apps. Similarly, the HomePod Mini supports Apple AirPlay 2, so you can stream music from any AirPlay-compatible app.
On the hardware side, the Amazon Echo features a 3-inch woofer and dual front-firing 0.8-inch tweeters. The Nest Audio uses a 3-inch woofer and an 0.75-inch tweeter. The HomePod Mini uses a single full-range driver and two passive radiators.
The Nest Audio impressed us with its performance, as has the third-generation Amazon Echo, which uses similar drivers to the new one. We can't make a firm verdict on which speaker sounds best until we listen to all three, though.
Making Calls
You can make phone calls with both the Amazon Echo and Google Nest Mini. Alexa lets you call friends and family members who also own Amazon Echo devices or have the Alexa app on their phone, while Google Assistant supports voice chat with your contacts over Google Duo. The HomePod Mini is a bit more limited, requiring your iPhone to make calls. It also features Apple's new Intercom feature for talking to other Apple devices in your household, but not much else in the way of communication.
Price
This should be the most obvious: All three speakers are $99. However, they're only parts of wider smart speaker lines. The Amazon Echo has a smaller version, the $50 Echo Dot, along with a larger version, the $199 Echo Studio. The Nest Audio is also sandwiched between the smaller $40 Google Nest Mini and the larger, $300 Google Home Max. The HomePod Mini only has a larger version, the $300 HomePod.
Which Is the Best?
For that, we're going to have to wait until we can put all three smart speakers through their paces. Keep an eye on PCMag for full reviews of the fourth-generation Amazon Echo and the new Apple HomePod Mini, and read our review of the Google Nest Audio now.