Most smart speakers on the market like to add the modifier AI, as if having AI makes them feel very technological. The so-called AI is actually artificial intelligence, and I personally haven’t used other smart speakers. This time, I was recommended by someone and grabbed a Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker for 79 yuan, which is quite a decent price. I’ve been using it for a while, and since it seems to be 79 yuan again, I’d like to recommend this Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker.
I originally wanted to take a picture of the packaging box, but due to my family’s violent unboxing, the box was really torn apart. So let’s directly look at the packaging accessories. The Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker comes with one main unit, a Micro USB data cable, a usage tip sheet, and a user manual. Unfortunately, the power adapter is missing as it got lost by my family.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker is available in black and white. Personally, I think the white one looks better and appears more simple and understated. The body shell of the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker is made of plastic, and the surface looks quite smooth, but it is slightly prone to fingerprints. You can see the Dingdong logo on one side of the speaker.
On the side opposite the logo are its power interface and audio output interface, which allows it to serve as an additional playback option. Like most smart speakers, the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker needs to be continuously powered to function properly.
The interactive buttons of the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker are mainly designed on the top, with the inner side featuring a sleep button, volume down button, wake button, and volume up button. The power button and wake button have different working modes. Pressing the sleep button switches to sleep mode; pressing the wake button wakes up the speaker, and long-pressing the wake button enters network mode. Surrounding the four buttons are six microphone arrays, and the multi-microphone design allows it to better receive sound sources. An LED light strip surrounds the outer edge, with the LED displaying different lights based on various working statuses.
The speaker of the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker is located at the bottom, which features a ring of anti-slip pads, with some product-related parameters printed on the anti-slip pad. The outer edge of the speaker has evenly distributed holes that help propagate sound and also serve a certain cooling function.
Using the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker is quite straightforward. Since it does not have a power switch, it must be connected to a power source to be used. After connecting the power adapter, simply connect the data cable to the speaker, and it will automatically turn on. The first time you use it, you need to perform network setup to use it; long-pressing the wake button for 3 seconds will enter network pairing mode, during which the LED indicator will show a purple rotating light.
Smart speakers generally require network support, and the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker is no exception. Download the Dingdong Speaker APP via the QR code in the manual, and after installation, you can log in directly with your JD account. The benefit of using a JD account is that you can directly import related information from the JD Weilian APP into the Dingdong Speaker APP. Following the prompts, it is relatively easy to connect to the network.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker can often be observed in its working state through the outer light strip. When the initial network connection is completed, the light strip shows a blue breathing state, and then it enters standby mode, where the light strip turns off.
You can adjust the volume of the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker through voice commands or manual operation. However, it seems that the Dingdong Mini 2 cannot be set to mute. Each time you adjust, the outer light strip will change accordingly, and when it’s fully lit, the volume is at its maximum.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker has a sleep function; when entering sleep mode, the light strip above the power interface shows a yellow state. Users can also enter sleep mode through voice commands or manually, and no voice operations can be performed before waking up the speaker.
When the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker is functioning normally, the outer light strip remains off, but there are exceptions. The speaker has a “night light” function, and when the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker enters night light mode, the outer light strip remains lit. The only downside is that the brightness of the night light mode cannot be adjusted.
When the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker has poor network status or is disconnected, the outer light strip shows a red breathing state, accompanied by relevant voice prompts.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker uses a 1.5-inch 2W speaker unit, which doesn’t seem very powerful, but combined with its 360-degree circular design, it can still produce a relatively large volume. However, the bass performance is somewhat lacking, and the effect is not particularly noticeable.
Since the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker needs to be continuously powered to operate, it does generate some heat over long periods of use. At room temperature of 28 degrees, after about 4 hours of continuous use, the measured temperature was around 38 degrees, which is relatively low. Compared to the heat generated at the top, the bottom of the speaker hardly heats up, possibly due to the thick anti-slip pad, which also provides good heat dissipation.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker has a power input design of 5V 1.5A, which is also a fairly common voltage and current. Although it requires continuous power to operate, it can also be used outdoors with a mobile power bank; for WiFi, using a hotspot is sufficient, and this method is recommended for wealthy users.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker features an AUX output function, which can connect to speakers with AUX input to compensate for the Dingdong speaker’s lack of bass performance.
Having introduced some conventional operations, let’s look at the features of the Dingdong speaker APP. The APP is designed to be quite simple, mainly divided into Dingdong, Discovery, Playlist, and Account sections. In the middle, there is quick access to playback status, which will display the Dingdong playback status in real-time. Users can add different smart home devices through the smart home module, allowing the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker to control these devices. However, it seems that when playing music, the lyrics cannot be displayed synchronously.
The Dingdong speaker APP also includes some personalized feature settings, allowing users to choose different voice types and set the wake word for the speaker. Besides these feature settings, users can also set the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker to sleep and set alarms, although these settings can also be done via voice commands.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker also features Bluetooth output, which can be set through the Dingdong speaker APP. The wake function for the speaker’s Bluetooth can only be activated via voice commands. When the Bluetooth function is turned on, the outer light strip shows a green state, and there is also a voice prompt. The Bluetooth output function is similar to the AUX output, but Bluetooth output is more convenient.
The Bluetooth output function of the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker was previously available, but after the speaker was upgraded, the Bluetooth output function was disabled and changed to Bluetooth input. In other words, the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker can be used solely as a Bluetooth speaker, during which voice commands are not available.
I have been using the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker for many days now, and the most common use is listening to music. Whenever I have some free time, I can just call out to it to play songs. However, it seems that occasionally some songs cannot be played, likely due to copyright issues. The greatest reflection of smart speakers should be in their intelligence; it includes a variety of voice commands, and most voice interactions can be recognized. However, sometimes there are disconnections when the network is not good, which is a common issue with smart speakers.
The JD Dingdong Mini 2 also occasionally promotes its JD Mall, which can be a bit unexpected, but it’s not a major issue, as users can skip the ads at any time. The JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker can also add related smart home devices through the APP, allowing control via the speaker, which is a feature present in most smart speakers.
Let’s take a look at the richness of its APP content. The Discovery channel has a variety of categories, including commonly used music, radio, programs, and children’s content, which can meet most daily needs. Using the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker also allows users to purchase products directly through voice commands, but personally, I prefer using the JD APP to place orders, as the voice reporting feels a bit slow and does not display product details. The only good thing is that it can be used to purchase daily necessities, as the prices of these items do not fluctuate too much.
Finally, let’s look at the price positioning. During the flash sale, it was only 79 yuan, which makes it quite worth buying at that price. If you frequently use JD and want to experience a smart speaker, you might want to consider the JD Dingdong Mini 2 smart speaker.
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