Best smart displays for 2020: Top brands compared
The Google Nest Hub and the Amazon Echo Show are two of the best options.
Chris Monroe / CNET
The smart display industry has flourished with that last year Amazon Echo Show 8 and the Google Nest Hub (formerly Google Home Hub) at the top of screen wars. It makes sense why there is almost one Dozen smart displays on the market: You are a dream team that is made up of the always listening language support from a intelligent speaker and a touchscreen for watching videos and taxes Your smart home Devices, adding things to your to do lists and more. The Google Nest Hub max, the latest that we tested adds a face tracking camera that can display personalized information whenever it recognizes you.
If you want to upgrade your current smart speaker or are just starting out intelligent home and you find the touchscreen appealing. Here are the best smart displays currently available.
Please note that the products described here are selected independently by our editors.
Continue reading:: Google Nest Hub wins CNET editors selection
Chris Monroe / CNET
Often, the Nest Hub (formerly known as Google Home Hub) is available for sale for $ 100 or less, making it an affordable entry point to this category. It’s also the smartest and best overall, which makes the lower price even more attractive.
Thanks to the integrated Google Assistant, the Nest Hub responds to the same voice commands as the Google Home Mini-Smart speaker. The 7-inch touchscreen is a bit small, but the adaptive brightness makes images look particularly good. Google even adjusts a slideshow with family pictures as a screen saver.
You can also view videos from your living room or another room and control your smart home devices like your smart doorbell with an intuitively designed control panel. Unlike most other smart displays (and unlike its new big brother, the Nest Hub Max), the Nest Hub doesn’t have a camera. However, this can be a bonus if you have privacy concerns and want to put them on your bed table. The colorful fabric design allows the device to fit anywhere. However, the touchscreen is particularly useful when you need step-by-step help with a recipe in the kitchen.
Read the Google Nest Hub test.
Chris Monroe / CNET
With Show 8, Amazon Alexa responds to your voice control and voice commands. On-screen, you can play games, search recipes, watch movies and Prime Video trailers, control your smart home, and more. The 8-inch screen is small enough not to get in the way, but big enough so you don’t have to blink. It also includes a physical camera shutter for more privacy.
In addition to the usual tricks, Amazon has integrated the current sunrise alarm function, with which you come out of sleep with a screen that becomes brighter 15 minutes before your planned wake-up time. You can watch new videos with instructions or make a video call with a tap.
Google Assistant still uses the touchscreen better than Amazon – especially the cooking instructions and smart home controls are better – but the Echo Show 8 is close enough if you’ve already invested in Alexa, and actually has a camera for video chatting what the Nest Hub is not doing. In short, the Show 8 is Amazon’s best smart display so far.
Read the Amazon Echo Show 8 test.
Chris Monroe / CNET
If you need a 10-inch touchscreen with Google Assistant, the Lenovo Smart Display looks elegant and has the same intelligent features as the Nest Hub. Lenovo offers two different models: the 10-inch version and an 8-inch model for $ 85. The 10-inch smart display has a bamboo back, which is particularly suitable for the kitchen.
The Lenovo Smart Display was actually the first smart display to be launched with the Google Assistant built in, and it’s still one of the best. You will still receive the smart home control panels and recipe instructions from Google. The Lenovo display has a video call camera and a physical shutter to cover it if you want privacy.
Read the review of the Lenovo Smart Display.
Tyler Lizenby / CNET
If you want a smart display that can act as a speaker with high quality audio for a party, the JBL Link View is for you. Like the Lenovo Smart Display, it has a built-in Google Assistant and the same basic user interface as the Lenovo model and the Nest Hub. It is currently on sale at Best Buy for $ 100, even though it only has an 8-inch screen, and the design is a little chunky.
Still, it has the same great touchscreen features as the other Google Assistant models. When you start playing music, the JBL link view lights. The sound quality is a little bass heavy, but loud and full enough to rock a room.
Read the JBL Link View review.
Smart display comparison
|
Best overall |
Best Alexa ad |
Best full size display |
Best sound quality |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Google Nest Hub |
Amazon Echo Show 8 |
Lenovo Smart Display 10 inch / 8 inch |
JBL Link View |
|
|
costs |
$ 129 (£ 119, AU $ 199) |
$ 90 |
$ 150 / $ 85 |
$ 100 |
|
Screen size |
177.8 mm (7 inches) |
203.2 mm (8 inches) |
256.5 mm (10.1 inches) / 203.2 mm (8 inches) |
203.2 mm (8 inches) |
|
resolution |
1024 x 600 |
720p (1,280 x 800) |
1080p (1,920 x 1,200) / 720p (1,280 x 800) |
720p (1,280 x 800) |
|
Dimensions (WxHxD) |
179 x 118 x 67 mm (7.02 x 4.65 x 2.65 inches) |
200.7 x 137.2 x 99.1 mm (7.9 x 5.4 x 3.9 inches) |
174 x 311.37 x 12.5-136 mm (6.8 x 12.3 x 0.5-5.4 inches) / 142 x 263 x 12.5-111 mm (5.6 x 10.4 x 0.5-4.4 inches) |
332 x 152 x 100 mm (13 x 6 x 3.9 inches) |
|
Weight |
1.1 lbs. (480 grams) |
2.29 lbs. (1038 grams) |
2.6 lbs. (1.2 kg) / 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) |
2.9 lbs. (1.3 kg) net weight |
|
Wireless connection |
Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n / ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 |
Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n / ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), Bluetooth |
Wi-Fi (802.11ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), Bluetooth |
Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n / ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 |
|
Voice assistant |
Google Assistant |
Alexa |
Google Assistant |
Google Assistant |
|
Call and send messages |
Direct dial (US, UK and Canada, outgoing calls only), video calls with Google Duo |
Alexa messaging, Skype, direct dial (US and Mexico) |
Direct dial (US, UK and Canada, outgoing calls only), video calls with Google Duo |
Direct dial (US, UK and Canada, outgoing calls only), video calls with Google Duo |
|
Intelligent kitchen functions |
Step-by-step recipe support with YouTube tutorial videos |
Food Network GO app; Step-by-step recipe support; Integration of Amazon Meal Kits |
Step-by-step recipe support with YouTube tutorial videos |
Step-by-step recipe support with YouTube tutorial videos |
|
Smart home controls on the screen |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Built-in camera |
No |
Yes (1MP) |
Yes (5MP) |
Yes (5MP) |
|
Privacy lock |
n / A |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Microphones |
2 microphone array |
2 microphone array |
4 microphone array (2 front, 2 rear) |
2 microphone array |
|
speaker |
Full range speaker |
2x 2-inch 10 W speakers with full range |
.75 10W full-range speaker 2x passive tweeters |
2x 10 W speakers with 51 mm full-range drivers |
|
Streaming music services |
iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube music |
Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn |
iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube music |
iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube music |
|
Streaming video services |
YouTube, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies, CBS All Access, HBO Now |
Amazon Prime Video, NBC, Vevo |
YouTube, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies, CBS All Access, HBO Now |
YouTube, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies, CBS All Access, HBO Now |
|
Compatible smart home cameras |
D-Link, EZVIZ, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Skybell Video doorbell, Smartcam, Swann, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Vivitar |
Amazon Cloud Cam, Amcrest, August Doorbell Cam, Blink, Canary, D-Link, EZVIZ, Logitech Circle, meShare, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Ring Video Doorbell, Toucan, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Wyze Cam, Zmodo |
D-Link, EZVIZ, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Skybell Video doorbell, Smartcam, Swann, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Vivitar |
D-Link, EZVIZ, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Skybell Video doorbell, Smartcam, Swann, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Vivitar |
|
Other notable features |
Automatic adaptive screen brightness of the Ambient EQ; Digital photo frame via Google Photos with live albums; Live TV with YouTube TV; Send directions to your iOS or Android phone or selected recipes from your phone to the display. Digital comfort mode for restrictions on parents and downtime |
Sunrise alarms. Customizable watch faces. Customizable alarm tones. YouTube access via Silk or Firefox browser |
Live TV with YouTube TV; Send directions to your phone or selected recipes from your phone to the display. Digital comfort mode for restrictions on parents and downtime |
Live TV with YouTube TV; Send directions to your phone or selected recipes from your phone to the display. Digital comfort mode for restrictions on parents and downtime |
|
Color options |
Charcoal, aqua, chalk, sand |
Charcoal, sandstone |
Bamboo / gray |
black |
|
Availability |
USA, UK, Australia and 12 others |
USA, UK, Australia and 7 others |
Only we |
Only we |
|
Expected shipping date |
Now available |
Now available |
Now available |
Now available |
|
guarantee |
1 year |
1 year |
1 year |
1 year |
The rest
Google Nest Hub max: At $ 229, the Nest Hub Max increases the Google Assistant screen size from 7 to 10 inches and offers better sound quality than before. The real story, however, is the addition of a sophisticated camera that can track movements and gestures or identify faces to give you personalized information on the screen. It’s an impressive combination of hardware and software, but it comes with it Privacy concerns. For most people, in our opinion, the original, camera-free Nest Hub is much closer to the sweet spot for smart displays.
Amazon Echo Show 5: The Echo Show 5 is the cheapest display from Amazon and offers the most advantages of Show 8. Its resolution is lower than that of Show 8 and its screen is smaller. However, it does have a tap-to-snooze alarm function, which makes it perfect for a night alarm. However, the sound quality is not very good compared to the bigger siblings.
Amazon Echo Show (2nd generation): The original Echo Show helped popularize the smart display back in 2017, and the current second-generation show has improved it in every way with better design, better sound quality, and a more useful screen. It’s a good premium counterpart to the attractive $ 90 entry point to Echo Show 5. The second generation show offers great sound quality and a 10-inch screen. The touchscreen isn’t as useful as similar models with Google Assistant.
Facebook Portal and Portal Plus: The $ 149 Facebook Portal and $ 249 Portal Plus Make Great Video Calls. You can track and trace each person in the picture so you can move freely as you speak. Otherwise, they have Alexa built in, but they’re not as smart as the others. And of course Facebook has seen numerous data protection scandals recently. Therefore, placing one of his cameras in your home is a huge leap of trust.
Lenovo Smart Clock: This $ 50 smart alarm significantly reduces the functionality of smart displays. There is no camera and you cannot watch videos. You can customize alarms and scroll through screens with weather and shuttle information. Thanks to a recent update, you can also view personal pictures and the Smart Clock screens as a screen saver through selected albums from Google Photos. It’s cute and tailored for your bedside table, but it’s more of an improved alarm clock than a full-fledged smart display.
Look at that:
The battle for the best smart display: Google Home Hub …
4:05
LG WK9: LG’s Smart Display sounds great, has a camera and the same Google Assistant smarts as the other third-party displays. It originally cost $ 300, which was far too much, but you can now find it regularly for less. Still, the audio doesn’t sound quite as good as the JBL Link View, and the 8-inch screen is surrounded by an ugly exterior. The WK9 doesn’t excel enough to be worth considering.
Originally released last year. Updated as we review new products.
