Google Rivals Echo Show With Smart Display

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Google clearly means business at its first CES 2018 appearance, with a massive booth hosting the reveal of Smart Display, the search giant's take on the Amazon Echo Show devices.

Smart DisplaySmart Display is, essentially, a platform for Google Assistant-powered smart speakers featuring a display. Google insists such devices are not mere Android tablets, since they use a full voice interface and actually run on Android Things, a variant of the OS designed for IoT. Smart Display devices cannot run apps and present traditional assistant functionality using what appears to be a card-based UI.

YouTube support comes out of the box-- unlike the Echo Show, following the recent Google-Amazon kerfuffle-- while a built-in camera allows for Google Duo videoconferencing. It can also act as a home automation hub when paired with other Google Assistant-compatible devices, such as Nest cameras or thermostats.

Google names a number of 3rd parties working on the platform, including JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. Of these, Lenovo is the one with an actual product at CES. Simply dubbed Smart Display, it is a minimalist device running on the Qualcomm SDA 624 SoC. It comes in two sizes (8- and 10-inch), includes a built-in stand for both horizontal or vertical use, and does just about anything other voice controlled assistants can do.

Smart Display devices are to hit the market from summer 2018.

Watch Your Google Assistant: Coming Soon to Smart Displays

Go Lenovo Smart Display