The Lenovo Smart Display 7 is a voice assistant with a touchscreen. It is powered by the Google Assistant, which lets it play music and videos, display photos and control smart home gadgets using voice commands. Think smart speaker, but with a touchscreen.
Quick specs
- 7-inch IPS touchscreen
- 2MP front camera
- Microphone mute and camera shutter buttons
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
Probably the best example of a smart display is Google's own Nest Hub. Lenovo, though, has built on Google's version by adding a 2-megapixel front camera. This means the Lenovo Smart Display can do video calls (Google Duo only), unlike the Nest Hub. Lenovo has also added a camera shutter to physically block the camera for privacy. This is on top of the usual microphone mute button that's found in other smart displays and smart speakers.
The Lenovo Smart Display takes its design cues from Google. Its speakers are covered by a grey fabric reminiscent of Google's smart speakers. They are louder and fuller than the ones on the Nest Hub, though there is some distortion at higher volumes. Unlike the Google Nest Hub, the Smart Display 7 (the 7 here refers to the size of its touchscreen) comes with an RGB sensor that lets it adjust the colour temperature of the display to the room's lighting. This sensor is also used to tweak the screen's brightness according to ambient light. However, it does take a while for the sensor to respond and do its adjustment.
Setting up the Smart Display is really idiot-proof using the Google Home app. You can also set up streaming links (e.g. Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and YouTube) in the app to play media on the Smart Display. The 7-inch screen is adequate for videos — it is handy for recipes if you place it in the kitchen. But video calls could be much better. The video quality is not as sharp as I would have expected. The screen also displays the video in portrait orientation, with plenty of unused black spaces at the sides.
At S$169, the Lenovo Smart Display 7 is slightly more pricey than the Google Nest Hub (S$129). This is probably fair since Lenovo's version has the additional front camera and better speakers. But the good news is that Lenovo currently has a promotion — buy two Smart Displays for S$199 on Shopee and Lazada. So if you are hankering to outfit your bedroom and kitchen with smart screens, it's a great deal. On the other hand, check out the Lenovo Smart Clock if you prefer a more compact, less intrusive Google Assistant smart device.
Note: Review set provided by Lenovo.
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