There are many different types of kitchen smart displays available on the market. It’s important to find the one that best suits your needs. For instance, you might prefer a display with a high resolution or you may prefer to have a touchscreen. You will also want to choose the type of display that best suits your budget.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)
Amazon’s Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) is a compact and smart display that connects to the Alexa voice assistant. It comes in a variety of colors, including white, charcoal and Deep Sea Blue. The device is small enough to fit on a nightstand, dresser or kitchen counter.
Like other Alexa-powered devices, the Echo Show 5 uses voice commands for basic functions. You can ask it to play music, check the news or turn on or off lamps. If you don’t want to use your voice, you can tap the screen to access other functions.
The Echo Show 5 can also be used as a photo frame. It features a 5.5-inch touchscreen. With the help of the Amazon Alexa app, you can link your photos from your phone to the display. These images will then rotate to make them easy to view.
When you wake up in the morning, the Echo Show 5 can be set to automatically turn on or off smart lights. You can also ask Alexa to set an alarm for you. In addition, it has a microphone mute button so you can block out other sounds.
The Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) is an improved version of the first generation model. While the screen has a smaller resolution, the Echo Show 5 responds quickly to voice commands. This makes it a great choice for a bedside companion.
For those looking for a more advanced smart display, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is a good choice. It prioritizes the screen size, audio quality and interface.
Compared to the original model, the Echo Show 5 features a more compact design with a 5.5-inch screen. A wide angle lens helps center the user’s view.
However, it is still not as feature-rich as the larger Echo Shows. The camera is a 2MP model, which improves video calls. Other updates include a digital pan-and-zoom function. As with most smart speakers, you must have a Wi-Fi network to get the most out of the device.
Despite its compact size, the Echo Show 5 can control the thermostat, lights and other appliances. It can also watch shows on Hulu, Showtime, Netflix, and DirecTV.
Lenovo Smart Clock 2
Lenovo is taking on the smart display market with its Smart Clock 2. Powered by Google Assistant and Chromecast, the Smart Clock is designed to be small enough to keep on your nightstand and offer plenty of features.
The device boasts a 4-inch color touchscreen that has a prism-like design, which makes it easy to see and manipulate the display. In addition to showing you the time, the screen displays information about the day and the weather.
It also comes with physical volume controls, which are great for adjusting the volume. However, the speakers aren’t particularly loud or bassy. Fortunately, you can connect the unit to other smart speakers, so you can fill a room with sounds.
While the Smart Clock isn’t a video chat device, you can use voice commands to make video calls and start a conversation. You’ll need to have a compatible smartphone and the Google Home app installed.
There are some design upgrades from the original Smart Clock, but you’ll need to pay for a dock to make the device work. This is not a deal breaker for most people.
The charging dock also has a built-in nightlight. It’s more helpful than the one on the actual display.
The Smart Clock can be ordered in a variety of colors. Black is the standard, but you can choose from three others. Aside from black, you can choose Shadow Black, Abyss Blue, or grey.
Besides the fact that it’s a smart device, the Smart Clock is also a good value. At a price of $80, it’s one of the cheapest smart displays on the market. And because it works with Chromecast and Google Assistant, it will link to your home Wi-Fi network.
But the Smart Clock doesn’t do everything that a smart display should do. For example, the display doesn’t show videos or recipes. It also doesn’t have a camera. These might be deal breakers for some.
Overall, the Lenovo Smart Clock is a good addition to the smart display lineup. Although it lacks a camera and YouTube video playback, it’s a solid device with a ton of features.
Google Nest Hub Max
If you’re looking for a new smart display for your kitchen, you might be interested in the Google Nest Hub Max. This device is a voice-controlled speaker that’s also capable of video calls and other smart home functions. It comes with a camera, Google Assistant, and a touchscreen.
The Hub Max features two full-range stereo speakers located under the screen. They include a 75mm 30-watt woofer and two 18mm 10-watt tweeters. In addition, the screen uses Ambient EQ to match the color of the screen to the room’s lighting. You can also dim the screen for a softer look.
The Google Nest Hub Max is compatible with many of the smart home devices that are already installed in your home. You can control your lights, music, and other things using the voice-control software on the device.
The Hub Max isn’t compatible with Netflix or Apple Music, however. That said, it does support YouTube, Spotify, and other music services. Using the Google Home app, you can set up the display with your Google account and link it to music services.
The Hub Max has a ten-inch touchscreen, which is a big improvement over the seven-inch LCD display on the original Nest Hub. The resolution is 1280 x 800 pixels, which gives you crisp, high-definition videos.
The Hub Max includes a camera in the top center bezel. During a video call, you can keep the camera focused on you and move the screen around to see your surroundings. The camera also includes a motion tracking feature that keeps you in the center of the frame when moving.
There are also some nice visual aspects of the Google Assistant, such as displaying a calendar invite. A timer is also included, so you can set a reminder to perform a task at a specific time.
The Google Home app can be used to configure the Hub Max. The display also features Quick Gestures, which lets you pause audio or play videos by making a gesture. These gestures are more convenient than using a touch-screen.
When you first get your Nest Hub Max, you’ll be provided with a quick tutorial. You can also use the Google Home app to connect it to a Wi-Fi network and make other adjustments to the device.
Facebook Portal Plus
If you are looking for a smart display to add to your kitchen, the Facebook Portal Plus may be a good choice. It features an HD touchscreen, a built-in web browser, a camera, two voice assistants, music playback and video chatting. You can also access photos and videos from Facebook, YouTube, and other social media websites.
The Facebook Portal Plus has a large, 15.6-inch touchscreen, which is great for viewing videos. However, it does not have the processing power and screen real estate to make it an ideal main display.
In addition to video chatting, the Portal Plus has a built-in smart assistant. This voice assistant can control the music playing, adjust the brightness of the Smart lights, and control other smart home devices.
The Portal Plus’s speakers are loud, and the sound quality is better than an Echo Show. But its audio capabilities are not as extensive.
One major disadvantage is that the Portal Plus has limited apps. While you can connect several video calling apps to the device, it does not support Netflix. That leaves only a handful of other options.
Also, you have to setup your Amazon Alexa account in order to use the Facebook Portal Plus. However, you can still make audio calls and respond to “Hey, Alexa” commands.
With the Facebook Portal Plus, you can stream music to the device, and watch video from YouTube and other social media websites. Alternatively, you can use your smartphone’s music app to listen to songs on the Portal. There is also a camera that can follow you around the room.
When you are not in a video call, you can access Story Time. This feature offers special effects and allows you to read a story.
Although the Portal Plus can be set up in your kitchen, you will need to plug in the device’s power cord. This makes it difficult to move around your kitchen.
Finally, you have to sign in to your Facebook account. After that, you can add up to four accounts to the device. Your Facebook information will be saved on the Portal for up to three years.