If you like the idea of smart speakers but wish you had a screen, the best smart displays are the way to go. With one of these, you can not only see what the weather will be like for the day or see what song is playing off your playlist, but you get a visual representation of the voice assistant that you’re communicating with.
Not just that, but you can actually connect to and watch content off of Disney+ – something that’s just not possible with one of the best smart speakers. In the same vein, you can follow along step-by-step with a recipe online or even use that smart display as a digital photo frame when you’re not asking it to tell you dad jokes.
Of course, smart displays do more than just call up the weather or display your newest guilty pleasure on Netflix. They allow you to take control of your smart home devices. Instead of walking over any of those devices, you can just ask your voice assistant to turn down the temperature on your smart thermostat, adjust your smart lights for a little ambiance, or turn on and off smart plugs and switches to help save energy on some of the dumber appliances in your space. And, since some of these have built-in cameras, you can also do video calls with those models.
With all the different options available, it can be hard to choose whether to go with something from Amazon, Google, or a third-party brand like Lenovo. To help you, we’ve tested and reviewed a number of them and gathered our picks for the best smart display here. And, if you need more information, you can check out our reviews on each of them to see which one meets your needs.
The best smart display 2023
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How we test smart displays
To evaluate the best smart displays we assess the picture quality of the screen when watching streaming services, viewing recipes and even getting the weather and news reports. We also assess the sound quality of the speaker and how effective the smart displays are when making video calls, including the camera’s ability to keep you in the center of the shot if you move.
We also evaluate each model on its ability to pick up your voice when issuing commands to the voice assistant, privacy features that help ensure the smart display is constantly watching and listening, as well as how compact and durable the design is.
Best smart display FAQs
What to consider when buying a smart display
There’s a number of considerations to make when it comes to choosing the right smart display for you.
Start by working out which voice assistant you want baked into your smart display. If you’ve already got Amazon Echo or Google Nest speakers in your home, then it makes sense to opt for a smart display that features the same voice assistant built-in. However, if you’ve yet to settle on the voice assistant for you, Alexa vs Google Assistant can help you decide.
Where you plan to use the smart display is also important, as screen sizes, and subsequently overall footprint, vary wildly between models. Those with small screens and smaller dimensions are best suited to bedrooms, while larger screens with higher resolutions will come in handy in rooms such as the kitchen so you can glean information from recipes for example with a quick glance from the other side of the room.
If you intend to use the smart display as a way to listen to music, then consider the number of speakers, and the sound output and quality they offer. Those with smaller speakers are best suited to background music, while larger smart displays will offering a louder, more room-filling sound.
Some smart displays also feature a built-in camera for video calls, although if you’re using it in a bedroom, you may feel more comfortable with a smart display that doesn’t include a camera.
What can smart displays do?
Just like the best smart speakers, smart displays offer access to a voice assistant. So whether you prefer Alexa or Google Assistant - there are no smart displays with Siri built-in yet - a smart display can take commands from you. However, they build on smart speakers but letting you see as well as hear the information the voice assistant is offering up. Often, there will be expanded information on the screen as well.
For example, if you ask for the weather report, while the voice assistant might provide the current temperature as an audible response, on-screen you’ll also be able to see an hour-by-hour breakdown, as well as additional information such as real-feel temperature and wind speed.
As you’d expect, the speakers in a smart display mean it can be used to listen to your favorite album, playlist, or track through music services including Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. Smart displays also have a Bluetooth connection so you can play music stored on your smartphone through its speaker, too.
However, some smart displays can also be used to watch movie streaming services, such as Netflix or Prime Video, on the screen. However, it’s worth noting that the smaller display and lower resolution means this won’t be the same experience as watching the service on your TV but is great if you want some background viewing while you’re cooking. Not all smart displays are compatible with all streaming services, however.
Many have cameras built-in so you can make video calls from smart displays, helping you stay in touch with friends and family, while the screen can even be used in place of a digital photo frame to show your favorite photos.
Just like smart speakers they can also control your smart home devices too.
What’s the difference between a tablet and a smart display?
With screen sizes that ape those of the best tablets, you may be wondering just what is the difference between the two devices?
First off is the portability. Tablets have a built-in battery that means you can take them with you and use them on-the-go. However, apart from the Facebook Portal Go, which was recently announced but has yet to go on sale, there are no battery-powered smart displays on the market right now. Instead they are mains-powered and can’t be moved around when in use.
Next up, consider the functions they offer. Smart displays let you access a voice assistant, and provide access to some streaming services, and let you send messages, while others with a built-in camera let you make calls. However the ability to play games on a smart display is limited to those that are controlled by voice, and also there’s no way to check your email or create word documents and as we’ve mentioned only some streaming services are supported. You also can’t use the built-in camera of a smart display to take pictures in the same way you can on a tablet, either.
Finally, many tablets have a better resolution than smart displays too. For example the Amazon Echo Shoe 10 has a resolution of 1280 x 800, whereas the latest entry-level iPad 10.2 has a similar-sized screen but offers 2160x1620.
Which is better Alexa or Google Assistant?
If you're new to the world of smart displays and smart speakers, deciding which voice assistant you should plump for may leave you feeling perplexed. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are simple to use and effective at answering your burning questions, providing useful information such as weather reports and sports scores, and even controlling your smart home devices. But is Alexa or Google Assistant better?
Alexa can control a wider array of smart home devices and offers a wide range of communication options for staying in touch with friends and family. However Google Assistant is better if you want responses in different languages or help translating phrases.
It’s also worth considering the devices you already own and the music and video services you subscribe to, as Google Assistant may be a better fit - especially if you’re regularly using an Android smartphone. Read our article Alexa vs Google Assistant: which voice assistant is best for you, for an in-depth look at the subject.
Smart displays vs speakers
Finding it hard to choose a smart device for your home? There's now a huge number of gadgets making use of smart and voice functionality, and it can hard figuring out what you actually need or will be useful to you.
Smart speakers hit the market first, with the Amazon Echo rolling out to invited Amazon Prime members in 2014, and slowly building up momentum. By the time the Google Home launched in 2017, there was plenty of appetite for the devices.
If you're largely going to be using a device for music and audio functionality – including chatting to / ordering around a voice assistant – you'll likely be fine with a smart speaker. It's only if the screen functionality is going to be useful that you need to bother with the smart display option.
The display is useful in a number of ways: for cooking tutorials and how-to videos, accessing security camera feeds, watching video lyrics onscreen (as with the Echo Show and Amazon Music) or for easily spotting the time on a clock face. Controlling and connecting to other smart home devices through a centralized portal is also far easier with a screen, and you get far more connectivity features in these kinds of devices.
But if you think you don't want the screen attached, you can check out out best smart speakers guide instead.
- Check out these great Amazon Echo deals
