The world of smart speakers has an ever-growing catalog. Many brands venture to launch their speakers incorporating an intelligent assistant in them that gives more value and extra functionality for their users. The last one that has jumped on the bandwagon, of course, has been Xiaomi with its new Mi Smart Speaker. Today I will tell you about my experience after having tried the smart speaker that will make it direct competition to Amazon and Google products.
Minimalist design that fits anywhere
An important point of smart speakers today is design , since these devices have become one more decorative element of our homes.
The Mi Smart Speaker has a metal body perforated around its perimeter to let sound through from inside, and is covered at the top and bottom by two plastic strips. At the top we find a haptic button panel that allows us to control what is played through it, in addition to having the typical button to mute both microphones so that the assistant stops listening to us. How will we know when Google Assistant detects us? Thanks to the LED band that we have around the entire circumference of the body that, depending on its color , will act in one way or another:
- White : the assistant has detected the command “Ok, Google” and is ready to respond to our request.
- Orange : the microphones are deactivated and, therefore, no matter how hard we try, the assistant will not respond to our commands.
A design that I personally like for its simplicity and that minimalist look it gives it. In addition, as it is a speaker with a reduced size , although superior to the “basic” options from Amazon or Google, we can place it anywhere and it will fit perfectly where we put it. Of course, you must bear in mind that the Xiaomi smart speaker is only available in a single color: white.
Sounds good, but not for foodies
The power and quality of the sound is another of those fundamental aspects when buying a speaker. The Xiaomi speaker has a power of 12 W , vitaminized with HiFi sound output and professional DSDT settings . What does all this translate? Well, in that we will have a speaker with powerful records and a sound quality that complies with a clear and sharp reproduction, without distortions.
One feature that I find super useful about this device is the stereo sound emission. Thanks to its Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity , this equipment is capable of being linked with a second unit to separate broadcasting anything that we reproduce through it in stereo. Therefore, we will have the possibility of using it as an external sound system for our television, or enjoy a better musical experience at home.
Of course, as with other smart speakers, at least in the most “basic” models , these are not the right equipment for audiophiles looking for an outstanding listening experience. If you are a normal user, like me, everything you can play from this speaker will meet your expectations. But, if you want fidelity in sound without losing the option of the assistant, you have other more interesting options such as the Amazon Echo Studio or Apple‘s own Homepod.
A smarter home with the Mi Smart Speaker
As I have already been telling you during this analysis, this is an intelligent team that has Google’s virtual assistant . Therefore, with it we will have at our disposal all the functionalities of other equipment such as the Google Nest:
- Linking and management from the Home app on our smartphone.
- Request information from the assistant using voice commands.
- Have control of all the home automation of our house.
- Make voice calls using the Google DUO app.
And before going on to tell you about the strength of this team, I want to tell you about my experience using the microphones to invoke the assistant. Whether at a short distance or in another room, the speaker has heard me without problems saying the words “Ok Google” , even playing music at the same time. Only on a couple of occasions has he asked me to repeat the command, or he has informed me that he did not understand what I was requesting, but this has been more anecdotal than worrying.
The highlight of this speaker: the price
We now come to the decisive section for anyone when considering acquiring a new equipment: the price. And I can already tell you that, in this case, you will have little doubt when you compare it with other alternatives.
To place you, this Xiaomi speaker has been released for 49.99 euros . A cheaper price than the rest of the alternatives, leaving the final comparison like this:
- My Smart Speaker : 49.99 euros.
- Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) : 59 euros.
- Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) : 59.99 euros.
No matter where you look at it, we are talking about the fact that when we buy this speaker, we take a team that, at least, is similar in quality to its competitors but, with a lower price. It is true that Google and Amazon devices, especially the latter, can be found on sale throughout the year but of course, we still do not know what move Xiaomi will make in this case.
So now it’s up to you to decide which smart speaker to buy for your home. What I can tell you is that, after having tried this and its main competitors, it would be very difficult for me not to opt for it before a possible future purchase.