Officeworks are now matching The Good Guys ($54) for the Google Home Mini. Probably doesn't work out as good as now they aren't beating the price, but a good price all the same.
Edit: Now matched to Harvey Norman ($53).
Google Home Mini - $53 @ Officeworks
1530
butterbuts on 30/11/2017 - 12:11 officeworks.com.au (3338 clicks)
Last edited 03/12/2017 - 17:48 by 1 other user
Last edited 03/12/2017 - 17:48 by 1 other user
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Thanks OP. Office works is a 3 minute walk as opposed to the GG.
When I ordered it said that estimated C&C would be ready on the 1st dec.
Haven't heard from them so checked the site again and it said estimated date: 12th dec.
But why buy Mini not Google Home. just because of the price?
Yes the price. The bigger once has a better speaker, but if you already have a decent hifi you can spend some of the change on a chromecast-audio.
So you can AUX out from Mini to external speakers.
Other than sound, both devices are same in functionality ?
No aux-out, and no connecting to bluetooth speakers either.
You need something on the LAN like chromecast or Sonos.I'm tempted to mod mine with an aux port, but would much prefer it did bluetooth out.
@ozyboy:
The mini is OK for music in kitchen or bedroom. Very impressive for the size.
But the original home more suits a large room.I have a Mi Box (Android TV) connected to the TV & hifi system.
You can also use Android Assistant on a phone.
@manic: Say "ok google send feedback" and then ask for support for streaming to a bluetooth speaker. The device supports bluetooth so you can stream music to it, but it doesn't go the other way. As the rival Alex can do it, I reckon that given enough people ask for it they might put some effort towards supporting it even if it might eat away slightly at their chromecast sales.
Personally though I'm fine with it - I use chromecast audio widgets connected to decent sound systems, so can get a pretty good sound when I want to listen to music properly rather than just in the background, and the built in speaker is perfectly fine for listening to responses etc….. I suspect that if it connected to a bluetooth speaker, that might be used instead for everything (which is what happens with Alexa, apparently - https://www.cnet.com/how-to/amazon-echo-pair-with-a-bluetoot…). Not sure I'd like to hear "time to buy ointment" (or similar) blasted out from the stereo if I've connected the home via bluetooth
@manic: Don't listen to music on one speaker. Or even two speakers built into the one unit next to each other. Have some standards.
@lostn:
Yes, thats true if you are actively, consciously listening to music . But sometimes, music is just background.
I cast to android-TV in one room, and to chromecast in another.The home-mini speaker is not going to compete with 12" drivers, but suits many purposes.
Also I own a Google Home. I now want a mini in the bedroom.
That’s what she said
Are you sure she didn't say max?
Thats what she never said.
Hi All, i know this is a variable question, but i can't decide on my own..
I will eventually purchase a Google Max for the living room area, but was wanting something for the bedroom to set alarms, have some quite chillout music, find out the weather and set reminders. I was thinking a Google Home so it could be used as a bit more of a powerful speaker and for it's multi-room capabilities later. Or do you think i would be okay with a Google Home Mini? Thanks guys!
Exactly what I use my Google home for. Gonna pick up a mini and see if I can move the home out of the bedroom.
Alarms, weather and chill-out music is probably OK with just the Mini.
Speaker-wise the Mini isn't that powerful so it depends how particular you are with that sort of stuff. The standard Google Home speaker is pretty decent and
gets pretty loud. I think you can connect a speaker via Bluetooth..We have a Google Home Mini and have actually lowered the volume as we find it too loud. A Google Home Mini will be sufficient for most people I'd imagine. If you're going to be blasting music at a house party then go for the standard Home. Like us, most people already have home theatre systems that are for that sort of thing already. I don't want my neighbours hearing Google telling me what a camel sounds like at 7pm. It's hilarious.
Have you tried the recipe's thing? & does it work lol Thinking of buying my Mum one but not sure how good the mini will be for that (will google)
Thanks all for your comments and suggestions! =)
These were heavily discounted in the US for black friday.
I'd be expecting similar here soon when Amazon starts selling their Echo locally.
Yep, I saw the ads everywhere when I was in Hawaii on Black Friday. All the big retailers like Walmart and Bestbuy were selling these for $ 29 + tax and you also get $ 10 or $ 20 worth of Google gift card.
How many posts about Google Home Mini do we really need?
Not everyone a Good Guys store near them.
We need more Google v Alexa debate!
I actually got my free one from the Woolworths offer, and the voice recognition doesn't seem to be anywhere near as good as the standard Google Home, anyone else noticed this?
Is it a proximity thing? Is it reasonable if you're basically standing over it talking into it?
Have not tried the standard, but the mini is very good. Better than my phone. Works well while music is playing, and even from the next room.
Yeah that was my experience with the full size, but both myself and the wife have had quite a few issues with the mini misunderstanding us in the first few days of use. She is not a techno person and said 'I don't like the new one, it doesn't seem as good'… which kind of says it all!
I've not seen this complaint anywhere else. You might want to look for a reason.
Could it be the location? Is the "hey google" recognition working as well?
If anything, I've found the mini to be better than the two Homes I have - the microphone(s) seem to be more sensitive and pick up commands from further away. Placement will make a big difference as well, of course.
Finding these responses interesting!
This is true. I shouted across the room to see if it could launch something from my nearby Chromecast, and it worked. Also, ask it for the latest news and it will give you a nice summary from various sources until you tell it to stop. Also nice that it works with my Xiaomi E27 smart lights (onn/off/change colour) which I bought thanks to Ozbargain.
Try re-training the voice-rec in the Home app..
I've found it to work pretty good with voice-rec.. understanding my syntax is another story.. :)
still comes with free 6 months Youtube Red / Google Music sub?
Does the Home Mini act as a music speaker as well?
Yes, not as good though. More like an alarm clock.
Yes and no. You can play music through them with some restrictions.
You can't just connect to it like a Bluetooth speaker and play music (if that's what you mean).
Yes you can John. It shows up as a Bluetooth device and you can stream audio to it just like a normal bluetooth speaker.
Also if you have two home mini's (Cheaper than 1 x standard home) you can add them to a device group. Then you can stream music to the speakers at the same time, essentially creating surround sound through the house.
Oh, my bad. Sorry.
Just paired it to my phone! You have to go enable it in the home app first, it's not always available to pair.
Seems to be out of stock in Sydney?
Print out the page from the GoodGuys website, and take it to a store that price matches. I went to the local Harvey Norman (as I had a gift card to use) and they had a stackload of the things, and price matched without an issue. If it's a genuine competitor price (not limited offer, run out, etc), most of the larger retailers will price match eg David Jones, JB HiFi….
You know sometimes when you wake up in the middle of the night and remember something? Yell it out and this will take it down as a reminder.
Want to check the time but don't want to open your eyes? This thing will tell you.
I have one above my bed and randomly yell out things I want to know about or remember when I'm still too drowsy to be bothered.
Oh yes, also, this morning I asked it to play "All I wan't for Christmas"
I have them linked so I can walk from the bedroom to the living room, and not miss a note of Mariah Carey's angelic voice.
you sold it for me. i have all these grand ideas right before i go to bed that seem like a fleeting dream the next morning. Seems like im on track now to quitting my job as an accountant to becoming a scriptwriter. Thanks mate.
If you want to annoy your partner just ask Google to count to 100.
i prefer to get grey to the dust is not visible easily
Thanks guy, I picked up a Charcoal one, Cheers
Would you mind telling us where?
I can't seem to find any physical stock of the charcoal, and website says Not Available Online.
Loganholme, QLD, my bro will collect it for me and gift it to me at Christmas meet up.
Nice! He must be glad you've done the legwork for him. :)
And thanks for the tip.
Are you entitled for 3 months of free Google play music access or not? Just remember something like that being in the past
Nothing mentioned in the free one I got with my phone from Telstra.
Nothing on the OW website.
I bought one on Saturday from OW, think I can go back and get the difference in price?
Just buy a new one at the new price, then come back and return it with the old receipt.
Incredible. People are now willingly paying to release their private lives entirely. George Orwell warned us. Sigh…
I assume your phone is one of those non internet connected Nokia ones.
Yeah mate. That one. It's called being mindful of the underlying issue and too many people seem to be ignorant to what this stuff is capable of. Maybe not necessarily now but moving forward what it may mean. But that ball is and has been in motion for some time now. And who am I to say. Maybe I should take of my tin foil hat. Cheers Big Bro.
You are aware that your phone does the exact thing you're accusing the google home mini of doing right?
Except that you carry your phone everywhere with you.
EDIT: I'm not saying you're wrong to be skeptical, you definitely should be, it's pretty scary, but you have a device in your pocket that has been capable of doing that for years now, Google home Mini isn't some kind of first product in it's class that suddenly has a microphone in it.
@Shwayne:
I agree with you. But I personally try stay as aware as possible of my online presence and the information I provide via the technology I use. Just seems like many people haven't a clue what theses machines are capable of or where there submitting a great deal of their personal information to. I don't disagree the google home may be a good device for what it offers and apparently a good speaker as well, but i just hope people know what they're getting into.I don't think you can really compare the two tbh
Skynet?
@DonaldDr4per: I'm not a criminal I have nothing to hide. People can monitor my every waking moment for all I care and they will soon get bored.
People are emotive about the security aspect because it feels personal. Regardless of what security settings you try and apply your online persistent existence should be a far greater security concern than what something can hear. A microphone will capture what you say, a computer captures what you think.
Very good point. It is all connected though. You give theses organisations an inch..
Doesnt send anything to google until you say the phrase
Warning: Google has removed the ability to play/pause music by touching the top of the unit.
Now you can /only/ play/pause by speaking to it.Do they have plan to re-enable it?
No, it has been disabled permanently. :(
There are few stocks at QV store.
grabbed one of these from officeworks frankston this morning had it price matched and beaten but as reading out my cc details the price changed and had to pay the extra amount. could have had it free shipped but wanted to pickup. just installed it, charcoal one (goes with my little analog black braun travel clock), and damn that's a powerful g-unit, great voice recognition….. great tech for price. neat that other speakers can be bluetooth connected (linked spotify premium need to test that)… like how it can read u weather where ur and news from your footy club etc. all pretty neat….
Bought for $51 using the Corporate Rewards card.
I purchased one from Gilles Plains, SA this afternoon. The shelf was empty but they keep in the office. They still had the old $78 price but scanned at $54.
Charcoal looks better, but can't complain with the chalk grey.
Click and collected at Clarence St, looks like stock levels are delayed.
DAMMIT, I just bought one from officeworks yesterday for fullprice :( Wonder if I can return it for a refund and then continue into the shop and buy a new one for $54. Actually keen to pick up two, one for the lounge and one for the bedroom
If you didn't open it, sure you can. Or just buy the same colour and return the 'new' one.
Surely you can return it even if you opened it?
Their return policy says
"If any purchase from us does not comply with a consumer guarantee, or you have simply changed your mind we will gladly exchange it, refund it or can arrange for it to be repaired or cancelled subject to the points below."
and then all their points just say
"When returning your purchase please bring your original receipt.
Where possible please return the product in its original packaging.
When returning your purchase please bring Government issued ID as it will be required to be provided for all returns $50 and over.
When returning your purchase please do so within a reasonable time."Doesn't mention anything about boxes being open?
But it does sound like it would be a little easier buying one and then returning it with the full price receipt
I returned one still sealed and the cashier opened it to check anyway.
Picked the lucky last unit at Chadstone store.
No charcoal colour in stock (they had the grey ones) at the East Vic Park WA store. Anyone know any stores in Perth with the charcoal ones in store?
It's always listening and it's always connected to the internet. Hmm.
I got one for free and still haven't unboxed it because I don't know what I'm going to do with it. Everything it does my phone can also do by speaking to it.
Im sure you enter most of your private details into your computer in some form or another.
It only listens for the activation phrase and only records after that. There's a physical switch to turn off the mic if you are paranoid. You can also delete all recordings from your My Activity page.
If it's not always listening, how will it know when you're about to speak the activation phrase as opposed to other gibberish? It's the same with the Kinect.
Google is probably not interested in what you say or do at home, but it opens up the possibility of being hacked by someone who is.
I never argued that it wasn't always listening…but yes, anything is possible in relation to the hacking I suppose…have you seen The Dark Knight???
It only listens for the activation phrase
It needs to always be listening in order to listen for the activation phrase.
I don't intend to get dependent on laziness devices that do things for you so you don't have to get up. If you do, you're just putting blind trust in some company you don't know. And of course they who have your data can get their security compromised. Yahoo recently for example.
@lostn: Yes, I understand. Again, I'm not arguing that it is not always listening…
I don't understand what is different about this product compared to any phone or device that has a camera and/or mic…anything could be hacked or listening to you without knowledge (presumedly).
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This product is temporarily unavailable, but here is something similar!
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/google-hom…