And then there were two. Just a few days after Lenovo began selling the first smart display featuring Google Assistant, JBL has begun taking preorders for its own veesion.
The JBL Link View was first unveiled at CES im January, and it should begin shipping in September. You can preorder one now from JBL’s website for $250.
The device features an 8 inch HD touchscreen display, stereo 10W speakers, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 5MP front facing camera with a privacy shutter that blocks the camera when you’re not using it.
The Link View can be used as a chromecast decide or a Bluetooth speaker, and you can interact with it by voice to get answers to questions, play games, see and hear news, weather and traffic updates, get recipes and more.
It’s rated IPX4 for water resistance, which means it’s a splash proof device that should be safe to use in the kitchen, as long as you don’t drop it in the sink. And you should be able to wipe it down with a damp cloth to clean the smart display.
The JBL Link View measures 13.1″ x 6″ x 3.9″ and weighs about 4.2 pounds. Personally I think the Lenovo smart display is a nicer looking device. But JBL has a pretty good track record for producing excellent sound from small speakers, which could be one reason to at least consider this alternative.
I don’t understand why the makers of these devices can’t design adjustable bases so they can be set at whatever angle a person might want. Especially for the $100+, 200+ price points. Sure, they need to be stable for use as a touchscreen but there should be some adjustable angle base design that would be stable and work well.
I am not a fan of JBL, since I was gifted one of their bluetooth headsets. I am a single data-point, but I thought that their design was poor, not just the manufacturing.
I’m sure it will sound good…but those looks…eek! And knowing JBL, it will be on sale for $150 in a couple months. 🙂