Thanks to a partnership with Google, Lenovo has created a new product line called the Smart Display. Essentially a smart speaker with a touch display, the Lenovo Smart Display is designed with a pretty focused usage scenario: for the home kitchen.
For that reason, the Lenovo Smart Display can be seen as an upgrade to a smart speaker. With a dedicated display, the Google Assistant is a lot more useful, because as it turns out, it’s a lot more effective to see your day’s schedule instead of having it read out to you.
Inside, the Smart Display’s hardware reads like a low-end tablet. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 624 processor, and comes in two display sizes: 8 and 10 inches. The Smart Display is also fitted with up to a 10W speaker (5W on the 8-inch model), increasing the versatility of the product.
The software not only contains the Google Assistant, but there are other Google products pre-installed as well. Google Photos lets you turn the display into a digital photo frame when not in use. YouTube and Play Music works seamlessly with the Assistant to play videos suggested by the Assistant, while Maps shows your commute and various point of interests.
There is also Google Duo, which takes advantage of the display and the 5MP front-facing camera to be used for video calls. Making and receiving calls can be done completely via voice, while the camera itself has a physical shutter to ensure greater privacy for users.
To be available from Q2 this year, the 10-inch Smart Display will retail for $249.99, while the 8-inch model will go for $199.99. The 10-inch model comes with a classy bamboo back, while the 8-inch model gets a soft touch grey back.
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