The 4 best smart displays for your kitchen, bedroom, and wall
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From showing security camera feeds to previewing the week's weather and cycling through family photos, smart displays have more to offer than screenless smart assistants. They can also function as mini entertainment centers, video chatting devices, and smart-home controllers.
We've tested a wide variety of smart displays with both Alexa and Google Assistant to find the most useful devices for a variety of uses. If you prefer a smart assistant without a display, check out our guide to the best smart speakers.
Our top picks for the best smart displays
Best overall: Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) - See at Walmart
The Google Nest Hub is cameraless and has sleep monitoring capabilities, making it more ideal for the bedroom.
Best with Alexa: Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen) - See at Amazon
The Echo Show 8 has a great camera, display, and sound and offers the best features for the price of any Alexa smart display.
Best for entertainment: Google Nest Hub Max (2nd Gen) - See at Walmart
With a 10-inch display and great sound, the Nest Hub Max Google's largest and most entertainment-friendly smart display.
Best for video chatting: Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) - See at Amazon
The 13-megapixel camera and a screen that pans to keep you in frame make the Amazon Echo Show 10 a standout for video calls.
Steph Coelho/Insider
Pros: Compact, clear display, great sleep-sensing capabilities
Cons: No camera, mediocre sound, sleep sensing will require a subscription in 2024
The right smart display for you will depend on a lot of factors. Because of its great features, affordability, and compact footprint that doesn't sacrifice screen size, the Google Nest Hub tops our list.
With its 7-inch screen and sleep-tracking capabilities, the second-generation Google Nest Hub is a smart display made for your nightstand. Plus, it's camera-free, offering some more peace of mind for anyone worried about having a smart device in their bedroom.
In addition to its smaller size, there are other features that make the Nest Hub more than just a smart alarm. A few minutes before it's time for you to wake, the screen slowly brightens. Then the Nest Hub updates you on the day ahead, announcing the weather and any meetings listed in your Google calendar. The radar-powered Soli Sensor tracks your sleep, letting you know how well you slept and alerting you to snoring or other disturbances.
You also get all the helpfulness of Google Assistant packed into the display. Despite its smaller screen size, the Nest Hub still works well for reading recipes or watching YouTube videos. You can also check in on compatible security camera feeds and control other smart-home devices via the display.
One drawback is its single 1.7-inch speaker, which can't compete with the dual speakers of the Nest Hub Max or some of the larger Echo Show devices. But for podcasts or sleep sounds, it works just fine.
While the Amazon Echo Show 5 is a similar size (though a little smaller), it lacks the sleep tracking of the Nest Hub. Google's display doesn't have a camera, but at around $100, it's $15 more than the Echo Show 5 and has a bigger, better screen.
Jenny McGrath/Business Insider
Pros: Impressive camera, good screen size, room-filling sound
Cons: Touchscreen can be buggy, limited streaming service options, limited homescreen customization
Choosing between an Alexa and a Google smart display may come down to preference or what works best with your existing devices. While we think Alexa isn't as proficient at answering questions as Google Assistant, it's still reliable for setting timers, finding out about the weather, and similar basic tasks.
For about $130, the Amazon Echo Show 8 offers the best features of any smart display with Alexa. Its 8-inch screen is functional for reading recipes and catching up on a show, it sounds good for the size, and it has a nice camera. It lacks the Echo Show 10's larger screen that can follow you as you move around, but it's also $120 less.
If you do a lot of video chatting, the 13-megapixel camera is one of the best of any smart display on our list. The camera makes images look crisp and clear and makes subtle adjustments to keep you in frame. However, the wedge shape of the Echo Show 15 means the camera angle is always from below, which can be a bit unflattering.
In terms of entertainment options, the Echo Show 8 has Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. You can also watch YouTube and TikTok videos with its built-in web browser, Amazon Silk. You can listen to Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, and Apple Music on the dual speakers, which are decent but not amazing.
You can also control a huge variety of smart-home devices with Alexa, and an Echo Show pairs well with Amazon's own Blink and Ring cameras. If you're immersed in Amazon's ecosystem and want a large screen, the Echo Show 10 might be your first pick, but the Echo Show 8 has enough similar features at a better price and will work well for most people.
Steph Coelho/Insider
Pros: Large display, excellent sound, built-in Nest Cam
Cons: Disappointing gesture control, poor camera quality
If you think you and your family members will always be huddled around a device before dinner, then you want something with a decent size and lots of versatility. The $230 Google Nest Hub Max's 10-inch screen is big and bright enough for watching streaming content or checking out recipes without taking up a lot of valuable counter space.
Similar to the Nest Hub, the Max lets you use gestures to control a few actions, like pausing media or stopping an alarm. Unfortunately, it's a clunkier experience than on the smaller Nest Hub.
It probably won't be your first choice to watch a movie, but you could. In addition to YouTube and TikTok videos, the device offers popular streaming options like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Paramount Plus. Dual 0.7-inch tweeters and a 3-inch subwoofer in back of the device provide room-filling sound while listening to Spotify or YouTube playlists. Both the larger screen and better speakers are an upgrade over the Nest Hub.
Another difference between the Nest Hub and the Nest Hub Max is that the latter has a camera. Though the video quality is fine for video calls, it doesn't compare to the Amazon Echo 8's 13-megapixel camera. While the built-in Nest cam can technically work for security monitoring, it lacks night vision, and you need a Nest Aware subscription (starting at $6 a month) for continuous recording and other features.
When it comes to recipes, Google Assistant is more reliable than Alexa. For example, it pulled up Mark Bittman's pancake recipe when requested, while Alexa showed his turkey gravy and potato gratin recipes instead. Google Assistant also seems to source more reliable information when it comes to food substitution suggestions, too.
For those planning on using their smart display as a supplemental entertainment device, the bigger screen size and better speakers of the Google Nest Hub Max may be worth the extra $130 over the price of the Nest Hub.
Lisa Eadicicco/Insider
Pros: Big screen, keeps you in frame, high-resolution camera for chats and home monitoring, built-in Zigbee hub
Cons: Bulky, no Paramount Plus or Disney Plus, doesn't always face the right direction
One nice perk of many smart displays is the ability to use them for hands-free video chats. The standout feature of the Amazon Echo Show 10 is its ability to swivel and follow your movements to keep you in frame while you chat.
Like the Echo Show 8, the 10 has an impressive 13-megapixel camera. Both cameras can make adjustments to keep you in frame. But the Echo Show 10 also has a motor in its base that it uses with computer vision and audio localization technologies to pivot its display toward you as you move around a room. While it doesn't always work perfectly, it is useful when you're moving between the cutting board and the stove in the kitchen or chatting with someone while folding laundry, for example.
That pivoting capability also gives the Echo Show 10 a secondary role as a security camera. In the Alexa app, you can make the camera pan from left to right to get a better view of the room. However, it can't tilt up and down via the app, so it's not quite as versatile as some pan-and-tilt security cameras. It's also fairly large and needs room to pivot, which could limit where you place it.
With a 10.1-inch screen, a 3-inch woofer, and two 1-inch tweeters, the Echo Show 10 looks and sounds good while catching a show on streaming or watching a cooking video. It offers the same streaming services as the Echo Show 8: Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. If you want Disney Plus or Paramount Plus, you'll need one of the Nest Hub devices or the Echo Show 15, which has Fire TV capabilities.
Not only does the Echo Show 10 control all the smart-home devices as the Echo Show 8, it also doubles as a Zigbee smart home hub. That means you can operate certain devices, like Philips Hue lights and Schlage locks, without an extra bridge.
Steph Coehlo/Insider
Choosing the right smart display will depend on price, where you'll put it, how you'll primarily use it, and what other devices you'll use it with.
The first major decision you need to make when buying a smart display is between Google Assistant and Alexa. Google Assistant consistently worked better in our tests when it came to answering questions and delivering content. It showed us the recipes we asked for and played the songs we wanted, while Alexa sometimes failed. The sources Google Assistant cited were often more relevant and reliable than those Alexa did, too. We also found all the Echo Show devices to be chock full of ads until we disabled the content recommendations in its settings.
Both Google Assistant and Alexa can control a huge amount of smart-home devices, but your ecosystem may still make one preferable over the other. Android users may get more benefit out of a Google device than iPhone users, for example. Those with Blink or Ring cameras may find a more seamless experience with another Amazon device like one of the Echo Shows.
If you want a compact device for watching streaming services or listening to music or podcasts in the kitchen or bedroom, then you'll want to consider both the screen size and speaker quality. But bigger may not necessarily be better if you don't have a lot of room on the table or counter. Make sure the device supports your favorite streaming services, too.
Wherever you put the device, there will be times when you don't want the camera or microphone on. Take into account a smart display's privacy features and settings, including how easy it is to delete your voice recordings and question history.
These devices frequently go on sale, so look for deals around Black Friday, Prime Day, and other shopping events to get the best price.
Jenny McGrath/Business Insider
To test smart displays, we use benchmark tests and utilize them in our homes to see how they perform with everyday tasks. We watch and listen to a variety of content and make video calls (if possible) to assess the screen, sound, and camera quality.
During set up, we note how long the process takes and if there are any issues. We pay attention to how responsive the touch screen is and whether it's simple to get started asking questions or making requests right away.
We ask all the smart displays the same set of questions and make the same requests to compare experiences. For fact-based questions, we take into account the accuracy of the response, the source cited, and the thoroughness of the answer.
To test the displays' smart-home integration, we see if they pair with a standard set of devices. We see how the display responds to requests like "Show me the security camera feed" or "Turn the living room purple."
Since many people use smart displays as entertainment devices, we take note of which streaming services and music services they work with. We also test their usefulness as a kitchen assistant, asking for recipes, cooking videos, and timers.
Jenny McGrath/Business Insider
Which smart display has the largest screen?
The Amazon Echo Show 15 has a 15.6-inch screen. The largest Google smart display is the Nest Hub Max, which has a 10-inch screen.
Will Apple make a smart display?
There have been rumors that Apple is working on a smart display for a few years now. The latest ones say it could debut in 2024. Until then, the company recently released a new version of the screenless Apple HomePod.
What is the best smart screen for recipes?
The Nest Hub Max is our favorite smart display for recipes. It's large enough to read clearly, and Google Assistant was more reliable in delivering what we were looking for than Alexa.
Contributer : Business Insider https://ift.tt/fxd7Xqu
Reviewed by mimisabreena
on
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
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