Short answer: the Apple HomePod Mini. It ranks #5 of 9 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $79.99; the Google Home Speaker ranks #7 and costs $99.99, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The case for the Apple HomePod Mini: SoundGuys called it good sound for its size, with a full-range driver and dual passive bass radiators giving the bassline in Anderson .Paak’s “Come Down” a decent thump most speakers this small can’t manage. The tradeoff: SoundGuys’ listed cons include no mute button at all, an occasionally annoying Handoff prompt, and no direct Spotify integration since Siri only launches Apple Music by voice.
The case for the Google Home Speaker: Built-in Gemini support makes it a capable smart home hub, with a Thread border router and Matter support, and the compact 107mm sphere fits almost anywhere. The tradeoff: This is Google’s current speaker, and reviewers agree it is a downgrade in sound from the discontinued Nest Audio it replaces: SoundGuys measured its acoustic hardware directly against the Nest Audio and found a single 58mm full-range driver against the Nest Audio’s 75mm woofer plus dedicated 19mm tweeter, calling it ‘half the audio hardware for the same sticker price.’ In their listening test there was barely any bass, the sound turned thin and tinny outside the midrange, and pushing the volume up made high notes shrill.
Buy the Apple HomePod Mini. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Google Home Speaker and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Skip the Google Home Speaker if sound quality matters to you. It ranks near the bottom of the 9 powered desktop speakers.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod Mini | Google Home Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 each | $99.99 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 9 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #7 of 9 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (USB-C) | USB-C (30W adapter, power only, no USB Audio) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) | 0.9 lbs (396 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6, dual-band) |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes (Google Home) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (4 far-field mics, no mute button) | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | No (two units pair only through a Google TV Streamer, not with each other directly) |
| Drivers | Full-range driver + dual passive bass radiators | 58mm full-range driver |
| Discontinued | No | No |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes, 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 3.3" x 3.9" (84.3 x 97.9 mm) (H x diameter) | 3.4" x 4.2" x 4.2" (86.6 x 107 x 107 mm) (H x diameter) |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri | Google Assistant / Gemini for Home |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Apple HomePod Mini:
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Apple HomePod Mini
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Apple HomePod Mini
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Apple HomePod Mini
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
Prices on this page were last checked September 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Apple HomePod Mini: $79.99 each Amazon eBay
Pros: SoundGuys called it good sound for its size, with a full-range driver and dual passive bass radiators giving the bassline in Anderson .Paak’s “Come Down” a decent thump most speakers this small can’t manage. “Hey Siri” reliably hears the wake phrase even at full volume, it can distinguish different people’s voices for personalized requests, and setup with an iPhone nearby takes moments.
Cons: SoundGuys’ listed cons include no mute button at all, an occasionally annoying Handoff prompt, and no direct Spotify integration since Siri only launches Apple Music by voice. There is no way to stream to it over Bluetooth, only Apple’s AirPlay/Handoff, no battery, and no IP rating (Apple only claims humidity resistance, not a certified rating). It requires an iPhone or iPad to set up and get the most out of.
Full Apple HomePod Mini review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Apple Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (4 far-field mics, no mute button) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.3" x 3.9" (84.3 x 97.9 mm) (H x diameter) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | Full-range driver + dual passive bass radiators |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (USB-C) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Google Nest Audio
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Apple HomePod 2nd Gen
- Apple HomePod Mini vs B&O Beosound 2
- See all 11 comparisons
Google Home Speaker: $99.99 each Amazon eBay
Pros: Built-in Gemini support makes it a capable smart home hub, with a Thread border router and Matter support, and the compact 107mm sphere fits almost anywhere. Vocals come through clearly on most tracks, which SoundGuys’ side-by-side listening called the one thing this speaker does well.
Cons: This is Google’s current speaker, and reviewers agree it is a downgrade in sound from the discontinued Nest Audio it replaces: SoundGuys measured its acoustic hardware directly against the Nest Audio and found a single 58mm full-range driver against the Nest Audio’s 75mm woofer plus dedicated 19mm tweeter, calling it ‘half the audio hardware for the same sticker price.’ In their listening test there was barely any bass, the sound turned thin and tinny outside the midrange, and pushing the volume up made high notes shrill. There is no aux input or any wired audio connection at all, the single USB-C port is power only, and Bluetooth is limited to the SBC codec with no AAC support. SoundGuys scored it 6.0 of 10 overall, with a Value score of 4.0.
Full Google Home Speaker review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Google Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.4 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.4" x 4.2" x 4.2" (86.6 x 107 x 107 mm) (H x diameter) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 58mm full-range driver |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C (30W adapter, power only, no USB Audio) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No (two units pair only through a Google TV Streamer, not with each other directly) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Google Assistant / Gemini for Home |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs (396 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6, dual-band) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Google Home Speaker vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Google Home Speaker vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Google Home Speaker vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Google Home Speaker vs Google Nest Audio
- Google Home Speaker vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Google Home Speaker vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Google Home Speaker vs B&O Beosound 2
- Google Home Speaker vs Google Home Max
- See all 11 comparisons