Lenovo Smart Display 8" $199 with free Google Home Mini
free click & collect or + extra with delivery
Bonus Google Home Mini
Purchase the Lenovo Smart Display 8" and receive a bonus Google Home Mini (plus freight). Both Smart Display and Home Mini must be purchased in the same transaction. Offer valid until 31 December 2018.
So it really boils down to whether or not you have access to discounted JB-Hifi e-Gift vouchers or HN AMEX offers
Or Harvey Norman discounted 5% vouchers through Macquarie banking. :)
This is a very good price, I paid $299 when they first came out and ended up buying the 10" version as well for the kitchen while I kept this in the living room.
These are now on par with the Google Home Hubs in regards to firmware but I wouldn't recommend you keep this in the bed room as the screen at full dim is still annoyingly bright, The Google Home Hub is a much better device for the bedroom.
Also you can now link/group these up to other Google home audio devices like speakers and chromecast to make a awesome surround sound setup as I've done in the living room with 3 google mini's and a chromecast for karaoke setup for the missus using youtube.
I've set up 2 mini's and a Google Home Hub in the bedroom.
What purpose does 3 G devices serve in the bedroom?
As to surround sound… Can you control which audio channel is output to each G device?
Home Hub for left side table, one for right side and one for middle above bed which extra strong bass.
No you can't select audio channel but you can tweak them in the Home App.
What happens if you say "OK Google"?
Do all three devices respond?
No
What device responds, and do the other devices decide between each other which device will respond?
does my iPad 1st Gen , does the same job as well?!
Please explain Pauline Hanson voice
Why wouldn't you buy one of Lenovos tablets at this price? It could always be set to listen like a home device couldn't it?
Not quite the same, as smart displays:
I cant tell if you are taking the piss, apart from the speakers, which you could get a better result using a real speaker via bluetooth or 3.5mm, in fact the other points you made can be done using a regukar tablet and a one dollar stand
One looks like a professional, polished, finished product.
The other looks like a hackjob of wires and a flimsy one dollar stand which a 14 year old put together in a bedroom (well kinda…you get the idea!).
It's a bit like all-in-one computers. Processing power aside, some people prefer all-in-one computers even though they cost more, as they just look much neater and more elegant in a living room (or bedside table when it comes to this device). Meanwhile, some people don't mind a desktop with the associated mess of wires which is normally cheaper. Different people just have different tastes.
Also, the microphone arrays on the dedicated devices are pretty impressive.
I cant tell if you are taking the piss
I thought my intent was quite clear, sure you could just use a tablet hooked up to a separate speaker with a make-shift dock, or you could buy a proper device that was designed to be used as such.
You have to keep in mind that Google are marketing towards the average family/home user, most people can't be bothered with a hack-job solution and would rather pay the extra for something that's simple to set up and use.
@magic8ballgag: Putting a tablet on a fairly invisible stand and connecting it via Bluetooth to your B&O stereo is hardly "a hackjob with wires everywhere" to paraphrase. You could even get a better looking result than what these look like. But ok, thabks for letting me know that people who think this do exist, after all what are forums for :)
@Jackson: I'm not sure why you're paraphrasing what I wrote, but each to their own.
You could even get a better looking result than what these look like
I'd love to see that, why don't you whip something up and report back with photos/video of the end result?
Putting a tablet on a fairly invisible stand and connecting it via Bluetooth
That's what I do at the moment actually, as I don't really mind the mess of wires. My biggest complaint is that the small tablet moves when I tap it or adjust the volume. If I have to start gluing or blu-tacking the tablet down, that certainly qualifies as a hackjob.
I'm surprised you're unable to accept that some people simply prefer the neat, tidy, all-in-one design of a device like this over a tablet on a flimsy stand (i.e. the $1 stand mentioned above) connected to a Bluetooth speaker nearby. That's what I do, but I can absolutely understand why some people would prefer something more integrated and properly designed. A hacky tablet-on-a-stand-with-bluetooth-speaker-nearby looks fine in my average messy kitchen, but it can certainly look out of place in a home with an actual nice living room or fancy kitchen benchtop.
@eug: Not unable to accept, just surprised. I personally would prefer to have a tablet that does the job but also works as a fully fledged tablet that I can take with me if need be, and I dont see the need to have 2 devices that have as much overlap, but each to their own. I also dont think its a deal to have to pay as much for this as a tablet that does a lot of other stuff, and I am sure that its a matter of time before this comes down in price
Not unable to accept, just surprised.
You lack the ability to understand spending money on something you personally don't see value in.
I don't see value in the majority of things that are posted on this site, but I can still appreciate them and their purpose as a deal to others.
And better/more responsive voice control
Response to your command at sleep mode. you can't do that in tablet without unlocking it.
No thanks, just another privacy intruding listening device.
as you type on an internet connected computer/phone
He's on an Australian Internet connection, only about 10% of his personal information makes it through before it's out of date.
as you type on an internet connected computer/phone
What has that got to do with losing your privacy? You don't just lose privacy because you access Ozbargain on the internet.
My girlfriend bought a Google home and pretty much just uses it as a Bluetooth speaker. Perhaps in the future these smart devices will be useful but atm they just seem like gimmicks to me. Anyone able to change my mind?
I use mine to set reminders, control my Chromecast, play Spotify across multiple speakers, ask it what my next meeting is and have multiple routines programmed.
I was honestly of same opinion but now use mine a ton. Air conditioning, lights, Foxtel, tv etc all controlled using voice and simple stuff like timers and unit conversion is such a time saver. The thing with these is that it's not going to do anything you can't do now, but the convenience of being able to use for voice and lay on sofa and just say "hey Google turn off air conditioner" without getting up for the remote to me is pretty great.
Each to their own but after watching some reviews of what these devices can do, I struggle to see the point.
Personally hate doing stuff using voice recognition and find it much easier to just use physical buttons.
Most people will just use them for their very basic features, such as a device to stream music to, but for those that are actually serious about technology and have other smart devices around the house, they are quite useful.
A Google home is a lot more than just a Bluetooth speaker, Here is a little list I put together for someone else one of the simplest things is asking Google to spell a word, a maths equation, currency converter, setting up routines, which when my alarms goes off it turns my lights on tells me to get out of bed and plays music, syncing phone calendar to Google, when I take a photo on my phone it uploads to google photos so I can view them on a slideshow with chromecast on my tv, you can even ask it to show only photos of kids, dog, photos in June etc, smart plugs for lamps and this time of year Christmas tree, you can also set up a routine for it to turn on the Christmas lights and play a Christmas music. You can also set reminders like remind me where I put my passport. The timer feature is the best. I love that it can send me directions to my phone, what the weather is going to be, is it going to rain. One of my favourites is broadcast feature but I use if from the google assistant app on my phone when I am on my way home for the kids to meet me in the driveway to carry the shopping in..lol Shopping list and it also links to woollies app so you can add things to your shopping cart as you think of it, Plays trivia games, musical chairs for the kids, if you have kids ask them to ask "Hey Google, call Santa" You can listen to radio, when I am working on my computer and want to view it on a larger screen I can cast it to my chromecast. I love how it guides you thru recipes, there just so many things it can do the possibilities are endless. Hope this helps :)
Went to JB HiFi checked this and ended brought the JBL View because of the sound quality, wasn't able to test the sound in the store, but apparently it doesn't look like has stereo. JBL is same $199, it's good for watching youtube while I am using computer. :)
Apparently, JBL Link has the best sound quality out of the three smart device displays :)
Can you browse your YouTube subscriptions with this, or the Google Home Hub?
yes
yes
I just had a read of this which says:
As such, you won't find a regular YouTube app that allows you to browse through trending videos, your subscription feed, etc.
How do you browse your YouTube subscriptions then?
Ok google…. open youtube
Ok google…. open youtube
The article I linked says this:
You can open up YouTube by saying "Hey Google, Open YouTube", but all this does is show you a list of recommended videos.
Can you view just your subscribed videos, similar your subscription feed on the youtube website?
@eug: In my experience, asking it to play a particular YouTube Channel will play the latest video.
e.g. "Hey Google, Play Linus Tech Tips from YouTube on the Kitchen TV"
@kapone: Mmm ok, so it's still not possible to browse YouTube subscriptions on either device. That's a pity. Thanks!
@eug: I ended up getting a Google Home Hub anyway just to try out. While you can't browse your subscriptions, you can browse your subs on your phone or desktop and cast it to the Home Hub and presumably the Lenovo Smart Display.
The screen on the Home Hub is tuned amazingly well. It really does look just about paper-like.
Google are trying to get as many of these into homes as possible. The data they collect is more valuable than the cost to law the unit
The data they collect is more valuable than the cost to law the unit
The what?
all your law the unit are belong to us.
Your life isn't that interesting let alone important to them. Relax :)
actually, it's about machine learning and Artifical Intelligence
This might be a dumb question, but can you cast Netflix to this screen from a phone?
nop
Not Netflix, but can cast from Stan.
Now to find a cheap streaming security camera for it
One of the reviews I read comparing the Lenovo to the Google Home Hub said
Bit of a dealbreaker for me is the fact this apparently can’t connect to a Bluetooth audio speaker, only works via the google cast compatible method .
Any deals with the Google home hub + free mini?
Is this online only or can you also go into a store and get the free home mini?
In store as well
Nice. Was checking out normal price and found Harvey's undercutting by $1. Also includes Google mini.
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/lenovo-smart-display-8-inch-…