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Hot Take: Google debuts new Pixels, Google Home Hub

Matt Adams
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Join us as we sit down and discuss some of the hot tech topics out there today. The Pixel Slate, Google Home Hub, Pixel Stand, and Pixel 3 and 3 XL were announced at an event in New York today and we explain what exactly the company is doing in today’s market and more.

What we talked about today

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SpamResponse review: A simple way to report spam text messages

Alexandra Arici
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0

Smartphones are a blessing when it comes to keeping in touch with your loved ones, but some calls and texts are definitely not welcome. Mobile SMS spam appears to be on the rise these days, and tracking down the spammers is about as easy as finding a unicorn in the wild.

Fortunately, the Android app ecosystem provides numerous apps that come to the rescue in such situations. One example is SpamResponse, a simple app for reporting unwanted messages.

Tired of receiving junk texts? Use SpamResponse

SpamResponse is super easy to use. Just install it on your phone and launch it to start using it. You’ll get a view of your SMS inbox. From there find the Spam message you want to report and long-press it. Then tap on the red Report Spam button that shows up in the top right of the display. Another way to do it is to simple swipe right and tap to undo the action.

The cool thing about this app is that it filters out your contact’s messages so that you don’t accidentally report from friends and family. However, we should note that reporting spam does not remove the message from your device. So you’ll still be able to view them when accessing your messaging apps.

Once you report a message, the team behind SpamResponse will investigate the message, and if a threat is identified, they will work with their network of digital service providers to disable consumer access to the threat.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll stop receiving Spam texts altogether. SpamRepsonse is part of an industry-wide effort to combat Spam messages, therefore the more you participate the more you help improve the service.

The app is quite minimalist, so apart from letting you report spam messages, it doesn’t come with a lot of features. You also get the option to view the messages your reported by going to Settings>Report History.

SpamResponse is free to download and use. Also, it’s not plagued by any annoying adds.

Download SpamReponse from the Play Store

Google Home Hub is Google’s first smart display

Jason England
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Google is ready to jump feet first into the smart display market with the Google Home Hub. It includes a 7-inch display, 2 far-field microphones, Bluetooth 5, ambient EQ light sensor, and comes in 4 colors.

The 7-inch display features some rather large bezels and is held up by the stand which also houses the speakers. The round corners and use of fabric give the Home Hub a modern home-friendly design.

Google made the decision to not include a camera on the Google Home Hub, most likely to put any privacy concerns to rest. However, they could have just as easily included one with a privacy switch similar to the JBL Link View. Without a camera, you’ll be unable to make any video calls in the future. Which could be a big concern if you’re thinking about buying one of these.

The ambient EQ sensor featured in the Home Hub should adjust not only the brightness but the color temperature of the display, always making your photos and videos look their best. That will come in handy as the Home Hub makes a great digital photo frame.

Google has just made it even better with live albums. With live albums, Home Hub will show off your best photos automatically skipping blurry shots, and avoiding duplicates. You’ll also be able to share your live albums with others.

Google Assistant supports over 10,000 different smart home devices from over 1,000 brands. Home Hub helps bring them together with one dashboard called home view. Simply swipe down or say Hey Google show my home view to access the dashboard. From there you can control your thermostat, view your Nest camera, change the brightness and color of your lights in any room, and more.

The Google Home Hub is available for pre-order now in Aqua, Black, Chalk, and Sand for $149. When you order Home Hub you’ll also get 6 months free of YouTube Music which also includes commercial-free YouTube videos. It will also be available in store beginning October 22 at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and other retailers.

Google unveils its own Chrome OS tablet, the Pixel Slate

Alexandra Arici
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Google still thinks tablets are in, so today the search giant unveiled the Pixel Slate.  A Chrome OS tablet, the new device comes with a detachable keyboard cover that can turn it into a laptop substitute.

The product starts at $599 and will be available later this year. Google will be offering it in a variety of configuration, the most expensive one being quite high-end with an 8th gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. A Core i3 and Core i5 version will also become available.

The slate sports a 12.3-inch display with 3000 x 2000 resolution and 293ppi that is among the sharpest in its class, according to Google. This was made possible due the energy-efficient LCD technology called Low Temperature PolySilicone (LTPS) which allowed the company to squeeze in more pixels without sacrificing size or battery. Google is calling it a “Molecular Display”.

The Pixel Slate is designed for productivity and life on the go

The package also includes front-firing stereo speakers and two 8MP cameras, one on the back and one on the front. Speaking of the rear, the Pixel Slate is a solid piece of metal with the G logo in the corner. Two USB-C ports live on the left and right side, but there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack.

Furthermore, Google has included the Google Camera app on the Pixel Slate, so the product can be used for photography too. Users will be able to take advantage of the sought-after bokeh effect, and the front-facing camera has been optimized for video chatting with a wide-angle lens and larger pixels.

While the tablet will be sold on its own, Google will also offer some additional accessories including the Pixel Slate Keyboard we mentioned above (no pairing needed). The accessory features rounded, backlit keys and will be available $199. The tablet is also compatible with a smart pen which will also cost you an additional $99.

Join the waitlist to be notified when the Pixel Slate will go on sale

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL make formal debut

Andrew Myrick
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The wait is finally over. Google has officially unveiled its new lineup of smartphones with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

While most of the wind has been blown out of the sails, it’s good to see these devices made official. Thanks to the myriad of leaks, we already knew what to expect, including specs, appearance, and even pricing.

Pixel 3

Kicking us off is the standard Pixel 3. You can think of this as a miniature version of the Pixel 2 XL, as there is a 2:1 display with slimmer bezels.

The display itself measures in at 5.5-inches, and is an OLED panel with NO notch at the top. Under the hood, the handset features a Snapdragon 845 SoC along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage.

Keeping the lights on is a 2,915mAh battery which can be recharged with the USB 3.1 type-C charger. This is slightly larger than the Pixel 2 (2700mAh), but the display is also just a bit larger, so battery life will likely stay around the same.

When it comes to Pixel devices, folks want to know what these cameras are capable of. On the Pixel 3, we have a dual-camera setup on the front with two 8MP sensors. The primary sensor includes a variable aperture ranging from f/1.8 to f/2.2 while the secondary 8MP lens includes a fixed f/1.8 aperture.

Moving to the rear of the Pixel 3, the handset sports a single 12MP camera. It seems that Google is simply not interested in adding multiple camera lenses to its handsets.

This is likely due to the fact that Google is including its separate imaging processor. This was introduced with the Pixel 2 lineup and has been improved in the Pixel 3 lineup.

As for the overall design, the Pixel 3 features practically the same design as its predecessor. There is a glass window on the back where the camera sensor is housed, while the fingerprint scanner is placed just below.

Pixel 3 XL

Moving to the larger device, the 3 XL includes a few slight changes compared to its little brother. Obviously, the biggest and most shocking change is the inclusion of a notch.

Google did the right thing that packed the new 6.2-inch OLED display into the same body of the Pixel 2. This means that you will get a bigger screen without actually increasing the size of the handset.

While the Pixel 3 has its front-facing cameras hidden in the forehead, that’s not the case for the 3 XL. Instead, Google opted for the notch which houses the dual-8MP cameras, along with the earpiece and ambient light sensor.

As for the battery, some of you may be a bit disappointed. Despite increasing the screen and keeping the same frame of the Pixel 2 XL, the Pixel 3 XL’s battery is just a bit smaller (3,430mAh vs 3,520mAh).

Shared specs and features

Since the original Pixel and Pixel XL launch, the devices have shared a few of the same specs. The same rings true with the latest iterations.

The Snapdragon 845 SoC is combined with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage. The camera sensors on the front and rear are exactly the same across both models.

Both handsets will also launch with Android 9.0 Pie, along with Active Edge. This was first implemented by HTC and found its way onto the Pixel 2 allowing you to activate Google Assistant with just a squeeze of the frame.

Moving back to the batteries for these devices, Google has finally implemented wireless charging. This is a first from Google and something that Pixel/Nexus fans have been hoping to see return for quite some time.

Not only will these handsets sport wireless charging, but it is actually fast wireless charging. This is made possible by the brand-new Pixel Stand which offers 18W of charging power.

When and where can I buy it?

Those that were praying to see Verizon’s stranglehold on Pixel devices come to an end are out of luck. Verizon will be the carrier of choice (other than Project Fi) for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

Luckily, Google has still included both GSM and CDMA antennas. Doing so, makes it possible to buy your phone of choice from Google and take it to your favorite carrier.

As for that pricing, you can pick up the standard Pixel 3 at $799 for the 64GB model. The larger 3 XL comes in at $899 if you can handle the notch. If you need the extra bump to 128GB, then tack on $100 to both models.

You can pre-order both of these devices today from the Google Store and you will get a free Pixel Stand. From there, you can decide whether you want the unlocked, Verizon, or Project Fi variants.

If you know that you’re going to pick one up from Verizon directly, then you’re in luck. Pricing will start at $33.33 for 24 months for the Pixel 3, and $38.74 per month for 24 months (at $929.99).

For a limited time, Verizon is also running a BOGO free special for those interested. If you purchase a 64GB Pixel 3, then you’ll get one for free, provided that you add a new line of service.

Verizon subscribers can pre-order the devices today using the My Verizon app and you will get a free Pixel Stand. However, this specific deal is only good for today, so act quickly.

Conclusion

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL weren’t the only devices announced at today’s event. Stay tuned to AndroidGuys to learn more about Google’s new lineup of products.

If you have any questions, be sure to drop us a line in the comment section below. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Google debuts Pixel Stand with interactive wireless charging

AndroidGuys
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Tuesday is a big day for Google fans and Android enthusiasts. In addition to launching new products, today also gives the company opportunity to introduce new software and features.

Making its debut with the Google Pixel 3 smartphone is Google’s first Pixel Stand. A wireless charging stand for the new line of handsets, there’s more than meets the eye.

Instead of just giving you a standard, fast wireless charge for your phone, the Pixel Stand adds a whole layer of interactivity and functionality. Indeed, once you dock the phone, you’ll have an experience that’s not too unlike the Google Home Hub.

Simply place your phone on the Pixel Stand and you’ll find it defaults to a glanceable and actionable interface. Designed with voice and touch in mind, it provides quick access to connected home devices.

Use the Pixel Stand on your night stand and you’ll find it adjusts your alarm clock to slowly brighten the display and wake you in the morning. Moreover, your routines are presented to you with reminders and calendar information.

Of course you can also simply turn your phone into a live-action photo frame and show off pictures from Google Photos. There are a bunch of cool features and functions to play with and we can’t wait to try them all out.

The Pixel Stand will charge your Pixel 3 in both portrait and landscape orientation. Using Qi charging technology it will also work with other wireless charge-capable phones. You just don’t get all of the neat goodies that come with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

The Pixel Stand is available for $79 from the Google Store.

Moto E5 with Android Go and big 4,000 mAh battery is now available in the US for $99.99

Alexandra Arici
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Introduced this spring, the Moto E5 is finally available for purchase in the United States. So far customers could purchase the Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus in the country, but not the standard Moto E5.

Well, that changes as of this week, as the phone is currently available for $99.99 at Best Buy via prepaid carrier SIMPLE Mobile. Target and Walmart will also start selling the device starting on the 14 and 15 October respectively.

The Moto E5 is an entry-level smartphone which is part of the Android Go initiative. This is a slimmed down version of the Android operating system released by Google with the aim to run the OS successfully on entry-level phones that are low on RAM and storage.

The latest Android Go phone is from Motorola

The phone ships with a 5.7-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio and HD+ resolution. It’s based on a decent Snapdragon 425 processor, backed up by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

The device also includes an 8-megapixel main shooter on the back and a 5-megapixel selfie snapper on the front. The big advantage if you buy the Moto E5 is that you’ll be getting a smartphone with a huge 4,000 mAh battery that should last you a full day of usage without breaking a sweat.

Unfortunately, the device ships with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Since Motorola already released the list of phones that are expected to get the Android Pie update, we can tell you the E5 series is not among it. Although, hopefully, the phone could receive the Android 8.1 Oreo update at some point, who knows.

Anyway, if you think the Moto E5 might be a good match for you, you can get in Gray from Best Buy right now. The Target and Walmart versions are on TracFone Wireless. Any takers?

Metro by T-Mobile to be the first prepaid brand to offer 5G service in 2019

Alexandra Arici
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Recently, T-Mobile announced it was rebranding its prepaid brand MetroPCS to Metro by T-Mobile and also introduced new plans. The Magenta carrier touted the change as a way to eliminate the distinction between prepaid and postpaid service.

Well, this week, these plans have gone live, so interested parties can start signing up for them. On top of that, T-Mobile also revealed that the new Metro is going to be the first prepaid carrier to offer 5G network access, as well as 5G-capable smartphones in 2019. The carrier didn’t provide any more details on the matter, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Metro by T-Mobile’s new plans are now available

Regarding the new plans, Metro by T-Mobile has two unlimited options for $50 and $60 respectively. The top-end option comes with 15GB of mobile hotspot data included at full speed.

The carrier also offers some extra perks with it in the form of free Amazon Prime video streaming and Google One with 100GB of cloud storage. The Amazon Prime freebie is significant. Annual memberships for Amazon’s Prime service cost $119 per year. As for the $50 plan, it will only get you a 5GB mobile hotspot and Google One.

Unlimited plan prices are unchanged from MetroPCS’s old options. But now the $50 plan has LTE hotspot data. While the MetroPCS’s $60 offering, used to come with unlimited hotspot data. Both bundles restrict video streaming to 480p.

Metro by T-Mobile also offers two additional plans available for $30 and $40 respectively. The cheapest comes with 2GB of LTE, while the $30 one serves up a generous 10GB bucket of data. Although, it doesn’t come with hotspot tethering.

If the new offerings have peeked your curiosity, then you should know that you can visit Metro by T-Mobile Pop-Up Experience in Grand Central on October 9 (from 8 am to 6 pm) and explore interactive demos by Metro, Amazon Prime and Google One. As well as step into the future with 5G demos.

Google dodges a lawsuit, Pixel Slate leaks, and other news worth knowing

Andrew Myrick
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Welcome to In Brief, the AndroidGuys tech briefing. Today is Monday, October 8th, and we’re taking a look at all the tech news you need to know. In this post, we want you to learn about the news the way you want to learn. We’ve embedded a podcast version of all this news below. If you don’t want to listen, you can read just like you normally would.

In today’s edition, we learn that the Mate 20 lineup will see some questionable changes. Meanwhile, the upcoming Pixel Slate has leaked, along with new video-calling devices from Facebook, and more.

We’d love feedback on this post, so please let us know what you think in the comments. If we can improve in some way, we’d love to know!

The Mate 20 will sport a headphone jack while the Mate 20 Pro, won’t

The Huawei Mate 20 lineup will be unveiled on October 16th, but unlike the Pixel 3, we are still learning more. The latest leak comes from a few case makers as it seems that one of the devices will no longer sport a headphone jack.

It seems that the Mate 20 will keep its 3.5mm headphone jack, while the port will be removed from the Pro model. These case leaks also confirm the existence of a possible IR blaster, along with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Other leaks have claimed that the Mate 20 will sport the Kirin 980 chipset, along with a 6.53-inch LCD display and 4000mAh battery. The Pro model will features an OLED display and an embedded fingerprint scanner.

UK high court throws out £4.4 billion lawsuit against Google

Back in May, Google was threatened with a lawsuit in the UK by a group called “Google, You Owe Us”. This lawsuit surrounded the “Safari Workaround” which allowed Google to collect private information with the use of tracking cookies.

This workaround was in use between August 2011 and February 2012 as Google bypassed the iPhone’s privacy settings. Once the data was collected, Google then separated those affected into categories to provide more targeted advertising.

The plaintiffs were seeking between 1 billion and 3 billion euros in damages for around 4.4 million affected users. However, the UK high court threw out the lawsuit due there not being enough evidence of damage to the affected group.

Facebook unveils Portal and Portal+ video calling devices

For months, Facebook has been rumored to be working on its own video-conferencing device. The company has unveiled the new Facebook Portal and Portal Plus.

The smaller Portal sports a 10.1-inch display with a sizable bezel and a 12MP front-facing camera. The camera sports an 8X zoom and a 140-degree field of view.

The larger Portal+ features a 15.6-inch 1080p display which can rotate from portrait to landscape orientation. To accommodate the larger display, Facebook has included a vertical stand.

The Portal is priced at $199, and the Portal+ is priced at $349. Both devices are expected to begin shipping in November.

Pixel Slate leaks in its entirety ahead of launch

We are expecting to see a slew of new products revealed by Google at tomorrow’s event. One such product is the Pixel Slate, which is likely to be a high-end Chrome OS tablet.

Over the weekend, the tablet leaked in a few different renders, revealing its design. There will be a camera on the front and the rear, along with dual front-facing speakers.

Additionally, Google will be unveiling a new blue Pixelbook Pen, along with a new attachable keyboard case. The Pixel Slate is expected to be powered by a Intel Core i7 chipset and up to 16GB of RAM.

Pixel 3 said to be exclusive to Verizon, again

Keeping with the Pixel theme, T-Mobile has let the cat out of the bag on another Pixel 3 feature. It seems that Verizon will keep its carrier exclusivity for Google’s new smartphones.
In a press release, T-Mobile suggested that your experience will be better with them versus being tied to Verizon. The crux of the information shared has to do with how T-Mobile sports the fastest download speeds for Pixel 2 owners.
We can only hope that T-Mobile will offer some type of trade-in deal for those wanting to use the Pixel 3 on its network.

Android Pie on the Galaxy Note 9 leaks, revealing redesign

A leaked Android Pie beta build for the Galaxy Note 9 has revealed quite a few changes. Primarily, the changes will come in the user interface, which is not all that surprising.

What is surprising is that Samsung is doing a major overhaul of how your Galaxy Note 9 will look. There will be a new dark and transparent theme included, which will work with the notification shade, quick toggles, and the Settings app.

Other Samsung apps, such as Messages and the Camera app are also being overhauled. The camera interface itself will see a new button for switching to a telephoto lens, along with a new way to access Bixby Vision and AR Emoji.

Unfortunately, there’s no mention of when Samsung will begin its new Beta Program.

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JBL Link View review: A smart display with lots of potential not yet realized

Jason England
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These days smart speakers are nothing new but they are still evolving. Just as with the Echo and later the Echo Show, Amazon was first to the party. Now, Google is once again playing catch up with their very own smart displays hitting the market. First came the Lenovo Smart Display which was quickly followed by the JBL Link View. At this moment they are the only two players in the market for a Google Assistant powered smart display. For the past few weeks, I’ve been using the JBL Link View with much delight and a few gripes.

Design

The JBL Link View comes in an oblong pill shape that seems more like a display has been slapped on a speaker than a display with speakers attached. This should come as no surprise since JBL is first and foremost an audio company. Upon opening the box, I found the design to be wider and bulkier than I expected. I can’t say I was immediately a fan of the design but as time went on it grew on me.

One aspect of the design that really stood out to me is the size of the bezels around the display. In a world where bezels are constantly shrinking on our phones, computers, and TVs it is a bit strange to see such large bezels on a new device. If it were a tablet the bezels might make sense but smart displays are not tablets and not designed to be held during usage. JBL isn’t the only one guilty of this, as every smart display that I’ve seen so far includes large bezels.

The next thing that stood out to me was the privacy switch. If you’ve been concerned about bringing a connected camera into your home, the privacy switch is a nice reassuring feature. The privacy switch is a one hundred percent manual slider switch that completely covers the camera with an orange piece of plastic. This makes it easy to see whether or not your camera is blocked.

As with other smart speakers on the market, there is also a mute switch on the back and volume controls. Even though you’ll most likely be controlling the volume with voice commands or by using the on-screen controls these controls are still handy to have.

One of the reasons you’ll most likely be using the voice commands is if you decide to put this in the kitchen. After using the JBL Link View for the past week I found that is one of the best rooms for a smart display to live. In order to make the Link View even more kitchen friendly, it comes with an IPX4 rating making it splashproof. That’s not quite as good as many new phones but it should stand up to the occasional splash in the kitchen without issue.

A small and often overlooked design element is the power plug. If you’re like me with a house full of gadgets crowding your outlets, then you’ll be happy to know the Link View doesn’t feature a large boxy plug. It was really refreshing to see the power cable used a normal sized plug instead of some oddly shaped large rectangle. Thankfully, JBL saw fit to hide all the components in the Link View itself and provide you with a small normal sized power plug that wouldn’t crowd your surge protector.

Display

I was a little disappointed at first when I read that the 8-inch display on JBL Link View would only have a 720p resolution. In a world of QHD phones and 4K TVs, the thought of using a 720p screen seemed like a big step backward.

However, in practice, I found this was not an issue at all. Most times you’ll be at least three feet or more from the display and at this distance, you won’t notice the lower resolution. During my time watching YouTube videos or movies from Google Play I found no issues with the video quality.

It definitely was not as good as my phone, tablet, or TV screen but a smart display isn’t really designed around media consumption. It is there to help give you visual results and information and it does this well.

I did find some light leaking around the top and bottom bezels and that was unfortunate. Overall it was only a minor issue because it is only visible when the ambient display is on.

How Good is the Screen?

Personally, I have loved having a screen on my smart speaker. I’m a visual person and getting visual feedback from my commands and questions is quite satisfying. The animations were all smooth and flowing, reminiscent of the material design we’ve come to know and love.

I enjoyed asking for the weather and seeing the forecast pop up on the screen. Controlling your smart home is also made easier by providing extra controls on screen whenever you turn the lights on or off. Besides the ability to toggle lights on or off, you’re also presented with controls for brightness and color. These controls will linger on the screen for a while giving you plenty of time to access them which is a nice touch.

Using it for recipes in the kitchen is fantastic since it gives you step by step instructions that you can advance hands-free. Even better you can bring up a recipe video on YouTube with ease.

Another way it makes a great kitchen companion is by allowing you to watch movies through Google Play or catch up on your YouTube videos.

While it plays music just like any other Google Assistant speaker with the screen it also allows you to watch the music videos via YouTube. If you happen to have YouTube TV you’ll even be able to watch TV on it. Beyond watching videos I also appreciated the other ways it would show information.

Whether that be showing a picture related to my question or providing follow up questions at the bottom of the screen. Often times it leads me to click on related questions and learning more about the subject.

I also enjoyed some of the added touches such as providing a breakdown of scoring quarter by quarter when asking for the football score. Little additions such as this show how Google put thought into how to utilize the display in useful ways, providing an improved experience over an audio-only device. That doesn’t mean it still doesn’t have a long way to go.

So Much Potential

There is still a lot of room for improvement and innovation. For instance, when turning on a light it was fantastic to see the controls pop up on the screen. I loved that I could toggle the light on/off, change the color, or brightness of the bulb. Features like this would make a smart display the perfect smart home hub. Unfortunately, there is no way to bring up some sort of hub to give you full control over your smart home devices.

I found myself giving variations of “show me my lights” commands hoping to get a screen for controls over every light in my home. Sadly, there was no way to do this. There is also no way to view my Arlo cameras at this time.

READ MORE: What are smart displays and what good are they?

Another feature that would have been beneficial is viewing the weather radar. I tried several commands but could never get this to work.

Making video calls using the JBL Link View worked well but you are limited to only using Duo. Unfortunately, not many people use Duo and support for some other video calling apps would be much appreciated.

Speaking of video calls, the Echo Show offers the ability to “drop in” and view your home through the camera. This is yet another feature I wish Google smart displays included. Having the ability to call my smart speaker through Duo or view it through the Google Home app would be such a convenient way to check on things while I’m away.

The ambient display also leaves much to be desired. This comes on after the display has been idle for a while showing only a small clock in the bottom left-hand corner. If this clock were larger it would be easier to read from several feet away or even from across the room. Furthermore, I’d love if it offered some more info or customization. Perhaps allowing you to adjust the clock to the size you see fit and show more information like the weather.

Sound Quality

With JBL’s audio prowess it should be no surprise that the JBL Link View has outstanding audio quality. The two speakers on the front provide stereo sound while a passive radiator on the back makes sure you feel the bass. This helped give a balanced sound with plenty of clarity in the mids and highs along with hard hitting bass.

Final Thoughts

After weeks of using the JBL Link View, I’ve come to love having a screen on my smart speaker, but it’s not yet essential. I use smart speakers every day and I’ve been a big fan of them since my first Echo speaker and later my Google Home speaker. Similar to when the Google Home was first launched smart displays right now are full of potential which isn’t yet realized.

Even if they only have a limited use, for now, the JBL Link View has sold me on smart displays. The great thing about smart displays or speakers is they will continue to evolve and improve over time. When I first got the Google Home it couldn’t do half of what it is capable of now. The same will be true for smart displays.

Over time it will improve and gain new abilities becoming a vital part of your smart home. As long as you don’t need the larger screen size offered by the Lenovo smart display, the JBL Link View is the clear way to go. No other smart display currently offers this level of sound quality and you’ll be grateful for that every time you start your favorite playlist or queue up a video to watch.

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