Lenovo - 8" Smart Display with Google Assistant - White Front/Gray Back

I purchased this during the Black Friday promotion for $99. I used points and a gift card to get the price down to $59.99. I think that is a good deal. I really am enjoying the google assistant features. I also like being able to ask google to cast music to my Sony sound bar. I don’t like that when I ask google to play next song or what song is playing it does not know unless I ask what is playing on my sound bar or specifically ask it to play next song on my sound bar. I have the Insignia google assistant portable speaker which is excellent and I don’t have to specifically ask to skip song on sound bar or what is playing on sound bar. That speaker just knows it is casting to that device automatically. It does know what song is playing when asked if you are playing music through the built in speaker. My WiFi has gone out twice in a few months time and the Insignia google assistant speaker re connected automatically when the router came back online. My Lenovo google assistant did not reconnect automatically when my router just went out again recently. I don’t think it has an off switch to re set it. I ended up unplugging it and plugging it back in to re set the WiFi connection. I am using this as an alarm clock and if I hadn’t woken up at about 3:30 am and noticed the white screen saying to reconnect to WiFi I am assuming the alarm would not have gone off. I am hesitant to trust this as an alarm now. The Insignia speaker clock also goes blank when WiFi is lost and I am assuming that alarm would not go off either but at least it reconnects to WiFi automatically. I think google should not require to have WiFi at all times for something as simple as the alarm clock feature. I am still giving this four stars though because when it works its very useful with providing almost instant answers to your questions. It’s amazing how quickly these google assistant devices are able to search the various internet sources and provide an answer. The single speaker is ok but not as good as the Insignia portable. That allows you to adjust bass and treble with the google home app. This Lenovo display doesn’t. I think they should have made it with a speaker on each side of the screen to double the output power. I guess they just wanted to make it more compact for a night stand which this is great for! The screen is a nice feature to be able to see multiple alarms or timers that have been set. Just be weary of possible unreliable alarms if your WiFi goes out on occasion. Also nice to see either your personal google photos collection or the default photos provided from various categories like fine art, earth, etc.

As an existing Google Home owner, I've been eagerly awaiting the visual Google Home that this product now provides. Just like Google Home, I think this is a product that you buy more for its potential than what it can currently do. While that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, these speaker assistants only get better over time as features continue to be added. As for this particular Lenovo Smart Display, I'm generally happy with it. The screen looks nice and I certainly enjoy the visual component to it as well as it having touch-screen functionality. It also now serves as my primary bedroom clock (although I would like more clock display options). Also, a big thumbs up on having a physical camera guard that can be switched to be open or closed. I don't think this device can currently do enough things to make this a must-buy for existing Google Home owners. YouTube is obviously a BIG perk to these smart screens and yet it's currently limited in functionality. Want to watch something off of your favorites list or see a list of all the videos of a specific YouTuber? You may find yourself disappointed and frustrated. But it sure is cool to ask it to play a video from one of your favorite artists on YouTube and *boom* there it is. Google Play Music also suffers from some frustrating limitations as well. Just like YouTube, things go a lot smoother if you know exactly what you want to hear because even though it has a display, you can't ask it to show you all of the songs on a particular album so you can select one. As of now, things like YouTube and Google Play Music are extremely simplified versions of the apps that you are used to using on your phone and/or tablet. The unit's speaker is loud, crisp and clear, but it does lack bass. Personally, I am keeping my regular Google Home in the room to play music. You can actually set it up so that your music requests through the Smart Screen will instead play on another existing Google Home, BUT they cannot currently both play the same music at the same time. Overall, it's not perfect, but I believe it has potential. I like the physical product and I think the price tag is reasonable. Existing Google Home users may not feel that it's as big as a leap forward as they might have hoped for, but with some patience and OS improvements, it still could be. I would definitely recommend this to people who are new to Google Home since they would get all the benefits of the regular Google Home with added visual perks.

Long time Echo fan as I have 7 of them in my home. Got the 1st google home when it was released and was not impressed. Realizing that it would take time for the Google Home developers to get on board I just left it setup in the office and forgot about it. Using the Echos for home control and daily activities worked just fine for me. The whole YouTube/Google?Amazon battle resulted in Google not allowing YouTube functionally on Amazon devices which made my echo show less then useful. It would be nice if Google and Amazon would play nice together and let consumers just pick the best device design and leave it at that. I really like the Lenovo Google Display as it works with my Nest thermostat, WEMO switches and Arlo cameras BUT due to Amazon owning Ring, they don't allow the Ring doorbell on the google devices as a slap in the face to Google for not allowing YouTube on Amazon devices. The immature face slapping between the two result in us, the consumers not being able to have one device to control all our smart devices. How about just making the competitive battle about building the best possible device and let the consumer choose for themselves. I like both products and they each have their place in my home. The Lenovo display is perfect for the kitchen or den for YouTube recipes or the kids watching Shopkins videos on YT. But for me it's too large for a bedroom environment and that's where the Echo show or spot works out better. It looks like the Google Home platform has grown quite a bit in the last year and I really like the features. The display is sharp and responsive and there are things I like and dislike about each platform. The sound is good for what it is and the purpose it serves in my kitchen. Glad I made the purchase and will be using it everyday as it's a keeper. Can't wait to see what product developers do next. Just wish Google and Amazon would settle their differences.

The unit seems very well constructed and is an attractive item. However, one major issue for me is the display. In ambient mode, whether selecting the included pictures, any of the clock faces or Google (personal) photos - after a seemingly random amount of time the screen would go into either the night mode or sleep mode. I am not sure which mode it is. This happens when all lights are turned off, which I expect or when lights are on, such as bright kitchen lights where I had this unit. I could not resolve this issue with the software settings. Others have indicated the same frustration and I returned the unit for this reason. Other disappointments for me is the vertical (Portrait) configuration only orientates if you use Video Calling with Duo. You can't just place the unit vertically and leave it that way. Also I have noticed the following: I originally purchased this unit for a better sound quality with Pandora as compared to the Google Home Hub Smart - and it does provide better music fidelity, however by a small margin. The low frequency sound is a bit artificial to me. As compared to my Google Home Hub Smart display, the Google unit presents my family photos much, much better (I am a professional photographer). The frame of the Google unit is symmetric and this provides a much better "photo frame". Also, the ambient lighting screen automatic adjustment works wonderfully - the pictures actually look much closer to traditional framed photos - a markedly improvement over the Lenovo. I have also noticed that the Google Assistant software options are not as capable as the Google Home Hub Smart. For example, sound equalizer and screen settings to mention two things. Bottom line - I really wanted to like the Lenovo 8, but was left disappointed. I am sure that software/firmware updates in the future will resolve a lot of these issues, but for now I am staying with the Google products. My setup is modest - some lights, the usual morning and evening routines and general uses such as recipes directions, etc. I currently use two Google Home Hub Smart display units, one Google Mini for a bathroom, various smart outlets and some smart light bulbs. I think I will purchase an Apple Home Pod for music (works for me as I am primarily and Apple eco person but have been so impressed with the Google Mesh and Google Assistant/Smart systems!). I have noticed that the majority of people rate the Lenovo unit very high, so this is just one person's opinion!

I went back and forth between this device and the Google Hub to replace our Google Home in the kitchen. I ended up with the Lenovo because I do a fair amount of video calling and wanted a camera. We battle tested our new kitchen addition on Thanksgiving and overall it did pretty well. Some positives: -Really like our pictures scrolling in the background -It's nice to see how long is left when running a timer -Was able to recognize the my voice as well as the Google Home, even when speaking from behind the display (was worried about this one) -Apparently the processor is a little faster on the Hub however the Lenovo seems plenty speedy with a smooth flow -Following recipes is great; search for something like stuffing recipe, and some entries pop up along with a rating and the recipe's source. -Light sensor works well, display goes into dark mode maybe 3 seconds after lights are turned off. It also adapts well to varying brightness. -Setup was identical to the Home, took 5 minutes Now some not so positive: -Only some general recipes are searchable on this device. We have some specific go-tos that were not found, we had to pull out the trusty tablet for these. I'm fine with not having a full browser but pulling a recipe up on my laptop and then casting that specific page to the Lenovo would be great. -After setting up I noticed a dim red light next to the screen constantly blinking. Googling showed that this was the light sensor and could not be turned off. It went away by itself after a few hours and has not been observed since. -Speaker not as good as the Home -Casting Youtube from my phone/laptop mostly worked however sometimes the screen would just freeze -All options are handled through the Home app, not always intuitive. As this has a screen would be great to be able to modify settings for itself -The AC plug is sort of large and unsightly. The Google's was too but was easier on the eyes. I doubt anyone else in the family has noticed, just a minor annoyance Final Notes: Overall I'm very happy with the purchase. It's fairly limited in use right now but so was the Google Home when we got it and that has matured nicely. I'm sticking with a 5 star rating as it does handle the basics and there's quite a lot of functionality that could be added in the future. I must get in my jabs at this point-from my understanding Lenovo just handles the hardware and Google is responsible for the software/updates. I would have NEVER purchased this if I knew Lenovo had any hand in the updates. I currently own a Yoga laptop and their response to software issues/bug fixes is downright shameful.

The Lenovo 8" Smart Display with Google Assistant is a great addition to my home and has become a welcome addition to my daily routine. So what can it do that makes it worth the investment? Much like the various smart speakers on the market, it offers all of the benefits of Google Home, but the addition of the 8 inch display sets it apart and raises the bar. I keep mine in the Kitchen and I've come to rely on the "Hey Google, Good Morning" command every morning, which tells me the weather, lets me know my calendar for the day, informs me of my commute to work, and then proceeds to play the various audio and video news feeds that I selected via Google Home, all while I'm making coffee/breakfast and otherwise getting ready for work. The integration with YouTube also sets it apart from plain old speakers with no display. Cooking a recipe? Just ask and you will be guided through it. Need to know how to chop an onion? Just ask and a relevant video will appear! It's also worth noting that the quality of the display is good, and the product is very well made and solid overall. The integration with music streaming is another feature I continue to use regularly and the speaker quality is pretty good for a relatively smallish device. I've also found that it integrates with my smart devices very well, including my Nest Thermostat and my MyQ garage door opener. Commanding devices with my voice never gets old to me and I plan to add more smart devices such as lighting to my home in the future. My kids also enjoy the "tell me a joke" and trivia games. One nit-pick is that I sometimes have to raise my voice a bit more than I'd like to in order to get it to recognize my admittedly soft voice, particularly when I'm playing music at high volume. Overall, I'm pleased with this purchase and would definitely recommend it.

When I purchased this item, I would have rated it 3 stars. But with a recent system update to add the features it was missing, I can now give it a full 5 star rating. I bought this around the same time Google released it's own Smart Display with the Home Hub. Both served different purposes for me with this Lenovo device as the main smart display/assistant for my living area, and the Google one in my bedroom as a bedside assistant. Having the two side by side to compare it was noticeable that the software in Google's Home Hub had more features in it's software. But after a recent software update I got the missing features I wanted: - Ability to add to a speaker group got multi room audio - pull down menu to control your smart home (this was previously missing and the only way to control your smart devices was with voice commands instead of on display options) There are more but these are just the major ones I cared avout. Plus, these are just the added features. Out of the box it had all the capable voice commands you could do with your typical Google Home and Home Mini lineup. Speaker quality is good and loud but doesn't compare to other wifi speakers like Sonos. Display is nice but lacks the Ambient Display technology of the Home Hub. And the optional camera with a physical cover (instead of just relying on software to disable it) is a great feature for those who love their privacy. So overall even with some of the minor cons, this thing fits the role as the Assistant/Smart Display I need for my main living area. And I highly recommend it as an addition to your smart home.

*I purchased this product the day it came out in store. ***Cons*** 1. The power adapter is bulky. Every once in a while I have to push it back into the plug. So far it has unplugged itself ever so slightly that it powered off once. Not good. 2. The sound quality is not the greatest. It does put out decent for what it is. ***Can do better*** 1. The packaging has way too many different materials and too much wasted space under the display. Inside you will find three different foams and two different cardboards. Simplify the packaging Lenovo. ***But the Pros!*** **I am an Apple fanatic, and this is my first non-Apple product in many years. I am impressed by this Lenovo product using Google Assistant. 1. The biggest reasons I even considered this display was the privacy shutter for the camera and the mute switch. Well done Lenovo, I appreciate that. I enjoy my privacy and Google is not well known for its privacy. 2. It has a very clean layout without too much info on the screen. 3. It was surprisingly effortless to set up. Unlike many reviews I have read, I found it easy to set up. It's not as easy as an Apple product, but the instructions provided were helpful. 4. Very easy to use, you just talk to it. That's it! 5. Hands-free video. We have used the recipe videos on it a few times. It is a great feature! I wish they would do an update and send you the grocery list of recipes you want to do for the week! I'd upgrade if needed for this feature. *The Lenovo Smart Display is a wonderfully thought out product that is basic and very helpful for the kitchen, garage, bedroom, etc. Anyone can use it; it is effortless to use. My final word on the Lenovo Smart Display: Apple step up your game, I'm not trying to switch, but you need to step it up!