As more and more companies introduce Google Assistant speakers, it was inevitable we'd see some with screens built in, and the Lenovo Smart Display is set to be one of the first to the market.
If you're looking for a Google alternative to Amazon's Echo Show smart display, you'll not find one actually from Google, with the push being led by third-party manufacturers, and Lenovo is one of the first to step up to the plate.
This is the kind of device Lenovo thinks you'll want in your kitchen or living room where you can play music, watch YouTube clips or read out recipes you can work along to.
It comes in two versions, one with a smaller 8-inch display and another with a 10-inch display, but no matter your kitchen's size the Lenovo Smart Display won't feel like a gargantuan TV on your kitchen top.
Lenovo Smart Display price and release date
Lenovo has only confirmed the Smart Display availability for the US at the moment, where it'll be released mid-2018. The company does plan to bring it to other markets, but those won't be confirmed until a later date.
If you want the 8-inch version, it'll cost $199 (about £140, AU$250) or the 10-inch version costs $249 (about £180, AU$315).
Design and features
We've only had a look at the 10-inch version of the Smart Display and it feels wide enough for watching video as well as having a strong resolution and being super bright.
While it may not rival your TV, that's not really its purpose, and we like the look of it when reading recipes or watching the odd YouTube clip.
The device was perhaps a little thicker than we first expected, but considering it will just sit on your kitchen counter or living room side it doesn't feel like much of an issue.
On the top sits a series of buttons to either mute the speaker or to toggle the volume. When it comes to sound quality, we were quite impressed with how clear and loud the Lenovo Smart Display was.
We only tested it in a loud room, but so far it sounds like the audio quality should be at the top end of the spectrum. Whether it can keep pace with the Apple HomePod is a different question.
Google Assistant worked well in our limited testing. You can view all of the major Google apps and there's a tailored homescreen that will show you interesting news stories, video recommendations and more.
While Google Assistant may not be as mature as Amazon Alexa it does currently have YouTube support which Amazon's range can't boast. That means we were able to easily watch videos on the speaker.
There's a touchscreen too for when you don't want to use your voice for commands, but we found the interface a little difficult to understand at first so you may want to lean on your vocal chords to use the speaker.
We found the voice activation wasn't fantastic in picking up commands in loud environments, but that's naturally a problem for smart speakers.
That shouldn't especially be an issue in your everyday use of the Smart Display, unless you're often hosting house party.
Early verdict
So far the Lenovo Smart Display looks like a fantastic alternative to the Amazon Echo Show.
If you feel like your Google Home is lacking a screen, and you can't handle the lack of YouTube on the Echo Show, the Lenovo Smart Display may be just the product you're looking for.
Whether the sound quality is good enough to justify the high price and Google Assistant can keep pace with Alexa in the smart display market remains to be seen.
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