Lenovo Smart Display (10-inch): Great For Google-centric Households

Google Assistant has caught up to Amazon Alexa in just about every way but one: hardware.

- Will Greenwald

Whereas Amazon has offered the screen-equipped Echo Show and Echo Spot for some time, the Lenovo Smart Display is the first smart speaker to pair hands-free Google Assistant voice control with a touch-screen display. We tested the 10-inch model, and while it isn’t as powerful as the Google Home Max on the audio front, it helps further narrow the gap between Alexa and Google Assistant and makes an attractive addition to any Google-centric household.

TWO SIZES, SIMILAR DESIGNS

The Lenovo Smart Display comes in 8- and 10-inch screen-size versions at $199.99 and $249.99, respectively. The larger model features 1,920-by-1,200 resolution and a bamboo back panel, and the smaller Smart Display has a 1,280-by-800 resolution and a soft-touch gray back panel. The two-inch active speaker driver on the 10-inch model is slightly larger than the 1.75-inch driver on the 8-inch version, but both use the same 10 watts of power and twin passive tweeters. At 6.8 by 12.4 by 5.3 inches, the 10-inch Smart Display is much larger than the Echo Show, but its rounded corners and white speaker grill make it look a lot friendlier.

A pyramid-shaped stand extends from the left and bottom sides of the back of the Smart Display, holding the screen very steady at a slight tilt to make it easier to see from above (such as when you’re standing over a counter or nightstand). The triangular panels of the stand let the Smart Display sit in landscape or portrait orientation, but the portrait orientation is currently used only for video calls made with Google Duo. The back panel of the Smart Display gently curves into the pyramid of the base, disrupted only by a connector for the included power adapter in the lower-right corner (when in landscape orientation).