Stuff Gadget Guide - UK - Issue 5 (2022-01)

28

Your home-hub choice isn’t restricted to Amazon and Google’s own devices

Lenovo Smart Display 7

£110 / lenovo.com

What’s the story?

Lenovo’s latest takes the appealing core

concept of its first-gen screens and

shrinks it down, while crucially retaining

the same functionality. That makes this

7in Google Home hub a potentially ideal fit

for a kitchen counter, or perhaps the table

where you toss your mail and the contents

of your pockets when you get home.

Is it any good?

Instantly attractive with its fabric speaker

front, the Google Assistant-enabled

Smart Display 7 is certainly a looker, even

if the 1024x600 screen and 2MP camera

won’t blow any minds. Perhaps they don’t

need to. After all, this is likely to be a smart

display for calendar notifications and the

odd video call rather than film marathons.

It’s also a great glance-and-go device for

pairing with Google Home smart cameras

and video doorbells, and doesn’t sound

too shabby as a speaker either.

KEY SPECS

Display 7in 1024x600 touchscreen

Audio 5W, 2x 1.5in speakers, passive

radiator Camera 2MP

Dimensions 176x155x83mm, 675g

Facebook Portal

£149 / portal.facebook.com

What’s the story?

Zuckerberg’s smart display series has

blossomed into several devices, from

the 8in Portal Mini to the rotating 15.6in

Portal+. The original Portal sits in the

middle, with a 10in adaptive display that

doesn’t rotate but does include Smart

Camera functionality, so the lens pans

and zooms to keep you in the picture.

Is it any good?

Whether you’re a Facebook fan or not,

there’s no denying the Portal is a sleek

and subtle piece of kit. There’s Alexa

built in for your smart home needs,

but when it comes to communications

naturally everything is geared towards

WhatsApp and Messenger. The privacy

switch is a nice touch for turning off

cameras and mics, and Facebook has

added fun stuff like AR animations to

make video-call storytime with Grandad

far more exciting when he falls asleep.

KEY SPECS

Display 10in 1280x900 touchscreen

Audio 10W, 2x speakers, rear woofer

Camera 13MP

Dimensions 260x179x141mm, 763g

JBL Link View

£250 / jbl.com

What’s the story?

Expensive for an 8in smart display at the

time of launch, the lesser-spotted JBL

Link View is a bit of a rarity but can be

found for a lot less nowadays. It distances

itself from the pack by being all about

the audio. Really, this is a 20W Google

Home smart speaker with an HD screen

bolted on.

Is it any good?

Having had some hands-on time with the

Link View we can confirm this thing loves

the bass. That’s down to a proprietary JBL

transducer array and a digital amp tuned

specifically for a cheeky bit of low end.

It’s a bit of a wide boy when it comes to

the dimensions too, but if your worktop

can accommodate it, the splash-proof

design makes it great for guided YouTube

recipes. Just don’t expect any smart

functionality, like on the Amazon Echo

Show 10 or Facebook Portal.

KEY SPECS

Display 8in 1200x800 touchscreen

Audio 20W, 2x 2in speakers

Camera 5MP

Dimensions 332x152x100mm, 1.3kg

The alternatives:

3 more smart screens

FIRST TEST AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10

BEST FOR

RUNNING

BEST FOR

SOUND

QUALITY

BEST FOR

CLEVER

FEATURES

BEST FOR

STYLISH

DESIGN