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Best smart home product of 2017

Look out, Alexa. There's a new boss in town

By Kim Wetzel Published April 25, 2023

Best Smart Home Google Home Mini — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Every year, Digital Trends editors hand pick the most exciting products we’ve had the privilege of handling this year. Make sure to check out award winners in categories from cars to computers, plus the overall best product of 2017! Read on for the smart home products that floored us this year.

Winner

Google Home Mini

What’s not to love about the Google Home Mini? The small, round smart speaker literally sits in the palm of your hand like a cute cloth pebble. Google’s answer to the iconic Amazon Echo Dot, the smart speaker is equipped with Google Assistant, which is getting smarter every day.

We chose the Google Home Mini because of the thoughtfulness and attention to detail on design of the compact device, as well as the smart features and capabilities Google Assistant brings to the table. Seamless integration with the Google platform also makes the Mini extremely easy to use. If you already use Google Maps or YouTube, for example, you can use Google Assistant via the Mini to access both seamlessly.

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You can buy the Mini in three colors – coral, chalk, or charcoal. The fabric coating makes the device feel warm, and it can sit unobtrusively on just about any surface without looking like a cold piece of hardware.

The app is easy to use, and the “voice match” feature allows you to receive customized responses based on voice recognition – a wonderful thing if you have multiple users for the device. In fact, this feature was such a good idea that Amazon quickly incorporated a similar system after Google announced it. This makes things like getting traffic information for your commute — not your partner’s — as easy as pie.

Seamless integration with the Google platform also makes the Mini extremely easy to use.

Google obviously did its research, and realizing that kids are using smart speakers just as often as adults are (sometimes to do things like sneak cookies on grocery lists), implemented the Family Link feature, which includes interactive children’s games, storytelling, beatboxing, and more.

As for sound quality, Digital Trends’ Google Home Mini reviewer Caleb Denison noted that “The Google Home Mini blows the Amazon Echo Dot’s on-board sound quality right out of the water. The Mini is louder, clearer, and generally higher in fidelity. If decent sound from a compact speaker is a priority, the Google Home Mini is the clear choice.”

Its cute, warm, button-like look, quality sound, and ever-improving Google Assistant features made the Google Home Mini an easy choice for the product of the year.

Read our full Google Home Mini review

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Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Before joining Digital Trends as Home Editor, Kim was an adjunct journalism professor at Linfield College and high school…

Smart Home

Your Google smart home devices just got a lot less talkative

A person standing in a living room while looking at a Google device.

Smart assistants are an indispensable part of any smart home, making it easy to give hands-free commands and control a variety of gadgets. Google is looking to further streamline the performance of its smart assistant, with the expansion of chime alerts to cut down on how talkative your Google Nest gadgets are when responding to instructions.

For example, after asking Google to turn on a fan, you’ll now be able to hear a quick chime to confirm the assistant has heard your instructions. Previously, confirmation would come in the form of a short sentence, such as “OK, turning on your fan.”

Smart Home

The smart home market might see big changes in 2023

Apple HomePod 2023 next to a TV.

The smart home market is arguably the strongest it’s ever been. Apple recently reintroduced the HomePod to rave reviews, Roborock is gearing up to launch its new lineup of powerful robot vacuums, and nearly half of U.S. households interact with a smart home gadget every month. That’s an impressive number, and it’s an increase from 2022 -- meaning the market is trending in the right direction, and folks seem to be buying into the dream of an interconnected household.

This incredible market saturation means it’ll take a long time for the smart home market to completely vanish -- and its death probably isn’t going to happen this year (or anytime soon). But the rest of 2023 will be an interesting year for the smart home industry, as Amazon and Google have run into financial issues with their smart home offerings, while Apple finally seems to be gaining momentum.
Money trouble at Amazon and Google

Smart Home

Google partners with ADT to launch new smart home security system

Google and ADT collaboration.

Google has partnered with ADT to bring its lineup of smart home gadgets to a new DIY home security system -- ADT Self Setup. The unique package allows you to choose from a variety of Google devices to add to your home, all of which offer full support for the new ADT+ smartphone app.

The goal of the collaboration is to offer the customer service and security of ADT with the premium products developed by Google. The ADT Self Setup system can be modified to include the Nest Cam, Nest Thermostat, Nest Mini, Nest Hub Max, Nest Doorbell, and several first-party ADT products like the ADT Motion Sensor and ADT Smart Home Hub.