If you're looking for a central command center for your smart home, look no further than a smart display. A smart display packs all the fundamentals of a smart home device on top of an easy-to-use interactive touchscreen with speakers. Many displays appear similar to tablets, smaller laptops, and other miniature mobile devices.
Of course, you also get all the Alexa benefits here, including the ability to stream video , control your smart home, video chat with friends, or look through devices like the Ring Doorbell. It’s one of the most user-friendly models we’ve seen. Face-match technology allows for a more personalized experience. When the Hub recognizes your face, it can show you content specific to you . Up to six users can save a face-match profile. The Nest Hub Max also allows for quick gesture control, so you can use hand gestures to control certain functions .
Google's Nest Hub smart display is one of the few that lacks a camera for video chatting, so you can only make voice calls using the device. Just like the original Nest Hub, the Nest Hub 2 doesn't have a camera, but it has a 7-inch touchscreen that lets you better interact with Google Assistant. You can view recipes, watch shows, see song lyrics, see the devices in your smart home, and more.
The Echo Show 5 is pretty small, with only a 5.5-inch screen. The Show 5 does, however, have a lot to offer in a tiny package. It supports the basic functions you can perform with most smart displays — make video calls, control your smart home devices, watch videos, and ask the assistant questions. But the Show 5 is a budget display, so it only has a 2-megapixel camera and a single 1.7-inch speaker. It also lacks the built-in Zigbee Hub that you'd get with the Echo Show 3.
Once known as Facebook Portal, the revised Meta Portal is a picture frame-like smart display made to be Facebook-friendly. The 10-inch display includes a Smart Camera that can track your location when moving, and there’s an easy-access augmented reality library to add effects and filters to your video chats, so it’s ideal for casual video calls with friends.
While some smart displays can make useful bedside companions , Lenovo’s model is one of the few versions that’s specifically made to replace alarm clocks, although you may also find it works well on a desktop beside your computer. The small 4-inch touchscreen isn’t great for watching movies, but you can use it to stream simple videos, show a slideshow of photos, reveal album art – and, of course, tell the time.