A few months ago I was able to review the Lenovo 10 inch Smart Display. Today, we’ve gotten in the 8-inch version for a quick comparison look. I won’t be doing an in-depth dive to the Smart Display or Google’s newer Assistant-with-a-screen OS so be sure to check the original review if you’re interested in that. The 8-inch Lenovo Smart Display will set you back $200 vs $249 for the 10-inch.
DIFFERENCES FROM THE 10-INCH
The major difference between the 8-inch Smart Display and the 10-inch version is the size, obviously. I was surprised that the 2 inch difference is so noticeable. I shouldn’t have been, I guess, but in my mind they were much more similar than in reality. I find that the 8-inch version is well suited to desktop use. For the testing period I’ve put it on my wife’s dressing table where she keeps her makeup, vanity, hair styling equipment and more. And it’s the perfect application for it.
Along with the smaller screen size comes a lower resolution. The 8-inch model rings in at 1200×800 and 180 PPI compared the 10-inch at 1920×1200 and 226 PPI. In practice the 8-inch screen looks great and the quality of it is virtually indistinguishable from the larger one.
The only other primary difference is the backing material. The larger version is backed by bamboo whereas the smaller one is a gray plastic back. The bamboo is nice but there’s no practical benefit to it. The 8-inch Smart Display still sounds great. You won’t get rich bass but the sound it produces is passable.
One great thing that has changed since our previous look at these devices is that Google has added the ability to add a Smart Display to a speaker group. I have Google Assistant speakers of all sorts throughout my house and adding this feature really filled a gap. I really like the size of the smaller device and I think that’s the one I’d recommend for most scenarios. You can pick one up from retailers everywhere.
