A smart display might be for you if you want the convenience of a smart assistant with the added bonus that comes with having something to look at. When you put Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa into a smart speaker with a tablet-sized screen, you get a fun way to see the weather or album art, watch TV shows, make video calls, and other (mostly) useful stuff. We’ve tested most of the major displays on the market and have listed our favorites below.
Most of our picks use Google Assistant instead of Amazon’s Alexa because it’s often easier to set up devices and Google provides a simpler service in some ways.
Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including our roundups of all smart speakers, and specifically Google and Alexa.
Updated June 2020: We added the 7-inch version of the Lenovo Smart Display to that product’s section. Our former pick for a smart speaker, the JBL Link 20, has been discontinued; we added the Sonos One as an option if you want to ditch the screen and updated prices throughout.
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