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The LG Smart Display has the versatile Google Assistant built in so it responds to a wide variety of voice commands.
The touchscreen is responsive and helpful.
You can watch videos, see the steps of a recipe, or browse local restaurants.
All together it's a solid smart gadget.
from a reputable company.
I do not recommend it to anyone.
LG's three hundred dollar smart display has plenty of virtues.
In a vacuum, it would be great, but Google has it's own smart display called the Google Home Hub.
Google assistant is built into other third party displays, from Lenovo and JBL All of these are less expensive than LG's.
Plus all these other ones were out first.
So LG showed up late to the smart display party featuring all the same tricks, but asking for more money.
Seriously, thanks to the same Google assistant in each, the features are exactly the same from one to the next.
but okay, hold on, better hardware might make this LG smart display worth the extra money.
Well, it has a smaller screen than the Lenovo.
The JBL and the LG have the same screen size, but look at the bezzles on the LG.
It is also the ugliest of the bunch.
JBL puts up a fight there, so no obvious hardware advantages yet.
The mics are roughly on par from one to the next.
All of them can hear me from across this great room and occasionally the next room as long as I speak up.
That leaves sound quality.
LG worked with a high-end English audio design company names Meridian.
These are both 20 watts speakers and it has dual passive radiators for the base here on the back so maybe there's something here.
Look it sounds good.
[UNKNOWN] suitable for background music.
It's a a tear above Google home hub and slightly better than the Lenovo smart display but it will slightly distort high notes, high volumes, and complex tracks modeled in the middle.
These aren't deal-breakers in and of themselves, but this was the one way LG Smart Display could've stood out.
And here's the real punchline.
The $250 JBL Link View has more powerful, better sound.
The LG Smart Display also has ThinQ which is LG's smart appliance platform.
But there's literally no benefit to it since you can do the same things with these other smart displays through Google Assistant.
So I'm not mad.
Well, I'm a little mad but I'm more disappointed.
This would have been worth considering if it was a little cheaper or if it sounded just a little better or the screen was a little bigger or if it did something interesting that the other's couldn't do but none of that's true.
So I'd recommend against purchasing the LG Smart Display.
It's a solid gadget in it's own right.
But you're paying more and getting less than the competition.
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