Smart displays are struggling to gain a foothold in a saturated market. Even your old smartphone or tablet can get the best smart display. From Facebook Portal video conferencing displays and Amazon Echo Show 15 to Samsung’s line of desktop-sized smart monitors, businesses are finding a coherent purpose. Our next move is Lenovo’s 27-inch ThinkView Plus. I’m trying to find a niche in smart displays for business purposes, with a limited focus on Microsoft Teams.
Launched today at the Information Systems Europe conference in Barcelona, ThinkView Plus consists of two parts: a video conferencing display and a USB-C monitor.
On the monitor side, there are decent connectivity options, including 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort input and output, 2 USB-A ports, and 1 USB-C (version not specified). However, with a resolution of 1920×1080 and a pixel density of just 81.6 pixels per inch, you don’t get the type of image quality you’d expect from the price tag alone. Lenovo has not specified the ThinkView Plus panel type or other related specifications.
The real cost comes from the display’s octa-core Qualcomm QCS8250 SoC.This will allow ThinkView Plus Wi-Fi 6 support to run Teams on an unspecified version of Android, including calendar, chat and file access. sands A computer (display predecessor used Android Open Source Project 8.1).
There is also an integrated 4K infrared and RGB camera that utilizes the SoC to perform AI-based functions such as automatic framing and automatic image quality adjustment.
There are also four microphones and a pair of 5 W speakers. This is interesting for long term use, but is said to be removable and upgradeable. The display comes with Microsoft’s passive stylus and whiteboard app.
Lenovo believes the display will be used for “hot desks, phone booths, executive desks, and home office use cases,” the company’s announcement said. However, the monitor’s low resolution makes it unusable in many offices.
In monitor mode, users can share their screens between the system and smart monitors, Lenovo says, to “show content and the presenter at the same time.”
Try to make your smart display feel like a smart investment
Lenovo’s ThinkView Plus, the follow-up to 2020’s ThinkSmart View, is an 8-inch, 1289×800 IPS screen currently retailing for $350. It’s one of the first so-called Microsoft Teams displays, and Microsoft says it’s an “always-on, at-a-glance display with unique features like the ability to see important activities and notifications without context using an always-on, at-a-glance display. An all-in-one dedicated to Teams.”Switch on [users’] Your primary work device, hands-free Cortana, the ability to leave a note, video, or audio on your lock screen.
Desktop monitor sized, the new ThinkView Plus should be more flexible than its predecessor. But Lenovo hasn’t fully figured out the smart display conundrum.
By focusing on Teams and leaving out other popular alternatives like Zoom, ThinkView Plus feels pretty limited at first.
Also, ThinkView Plus has no clear need advantage over existing products. You could easily make a call in the office phone booth, and maybe even see it at the hot desk. In both cases, however, a laptop with a decent webcam, or a high-definition monitor with a powerful USB webcam, can achieve similar results for less money.
It’s similar to Samsung’s line of consumer smart monitors, which offer streaming TV services and remote controls. Just like the plethora of smart TVs that many people already own, with larger sizes and more advanced display technologies like OLED. ThinkView Plus for business is not.
Lenovo’s ThinkView Plus also has to compete with other displays with integrated webcams, such as the Dell UltraSharp U3223QZ with its 4K resolution, 4K camera and, as we learned during testing, a high-quality IPS black panel. .
International Data Corporation expects smart home shipments to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8% from 2022 to 2026, prompting companies to experiment with ways to turn smart displays into ‘things’ You can see how it looks. Smart speaker money. The Facebook portal has already completed the transition from consumer to enterprise. When the ThinkView Plus hits “select markets” in mid-2023, we’ll see if smart displays can help you find its place in the office.
