Google Reportedly Plans Major Home Mini Speaker Refresh, Will Embrace Nest Branding

Google is reporting planning a major upgrade to the Home Mini speaker. 9to5Google reported last night that the company is working on a new upgrade to the Home Mini, and it’s embracing the Nest branding for the latest product. Google has already opted for the Nest branding with the Nest Hub Max, so it makes sense for the upcoming Home Mini to be under the same Nest branding, too.

The new Nest Mini will reportedly feature a built-in wall mount that will allow users to mount the speaker to the wall. It’s not clear exactly how that design works, but the report claims that the design of the Nest Mini is identical to that of the current Home Mini. The device will also now feature a 3.5mm stereo jack, which could possibly be used for audio input, output, or both.

Although the design of the speaker is remaining unchanged for the most part, the device will still feature an upgraded speaker on the inside. It could be slightly larger than the current Home Mini, but it will feature improved sound, higher maximum volume, and better bass. Google will also debut new colors for the new Nest Mini.

The device could even feature proximity awareness that will allow the device to display the current volume when you approach it. Google could use the company’s Soli chip which is being included on the next-gen Pixel devices, though it’s not exactly clear how this new proximity awareness feature works.

Google is expected to launch new hardware sometime this Fall, so it’s safe to say we will get to see the new Nest Mini at that event.