Samsung’s new Smart Monitor offers a lot more features for a lot less money than Apple’s display.
The Samsung Smart Display M8 is a 32-inch 4K monitor that packs a camera, speakers, and a few more functions into its sleek, attractive frame. With built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, this display is able to run its own applications, as the name suggests. Smart gadgets in your house can communicate with it.
It’s possible to mistake this monitor for an Apple Studio Display at first sight because of its slim (11.4mm) profile and narrow bezels. Cameras and speakers powered by an integrated CPU are also included in both screens’ set of functions. Its Smart Monitor M8 supports HDR, unlike Apple’s Studio Display, which comes in just one colour. In addition, the price difference is almost half as great.
Here’s all you need to know about Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8, which comes with a slew of useful features at a low price, making it a contender for the title of best monitor on the market.
Smart Monitor M8: Cost and availability information
It is now possible to pre-order the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 via Samsung’s website, and shipments are expected to begin on or around April 25th.
Smart Monitor M8 may be pre-ordered for $699, but you’ll only receive the white basic model. Colored M8s will set you back an additional $30, since the $729 models come in Blue, Green, and Pink.
M8 Smart Monitor by Samsung: Design
Whether it was done on purpose or not, Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8 resembles an even larger and better Apple Studio Display. With a flat back and a stand that appears like one large lump of metal protruding underneath it, the M8’s 32-inch 4K screen is encased in a thin, flat chassis.
The Smart Monitor M8’s stand is height-adjustable, enabling you to raise or lower it by more than four inches. If you’re a tall person like myself, you’ll like this function. For the price of an additional $400 you can get a height adjustable stand for Apple’s $1,599 Studio Display, so this is a good addition.
At 28.1 x 22.6 x 8 inches with the stand attached, the M8 should weigh 14.8 pounds. Wi-Fi 5.1 and Bluetooth 4.2 connection, as well as 2.2Ch speakers and a high-sensitivity microphone, are all included into the display.
It does not come with a built-in camera, the SlimFit. Detachable camera that can be attached to the display with a magnet is how it’s packaged instead. For those who don’t want to use a computer to view streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and others, the monitor comes with its own remote control, which may seem odd at first.
Samsung Smart Monitor M8: Screen
There is a 32-inch 4K 60Hz LCD screen on the Smart Monitor M8 that claims to have 400 nits of brightness and 99.9% of the colour gamut sRGB, as stated.
With HDR10+ compatibility, the Smart Monitor M8 can display HDR content as well (high dynamic range). Because this monitor supports HDR, you can watch HDR video on it, something you can’t do with the Apple Studio Display because it doesn’t have HDR support.
Connectivity: Samsung Smart Monitor M8
In terms of connectors, the Smart Monitor M8 doesn’t offer a lot of choices, but it does include USB-C capabilities.
Only one micro-HDMI connector and two USB-C connections are found on the M8’s rear, one of which allows passthrough charging of a laptop up to 65W.
In-Display Speaker System for the Samsung Smart Monitor M8
An integrated tweeter and two 5W speakers round up the speaker system, which Samsung claims is 2.2 channels in total.
It is rare for me to become enthusiastic about the sound quality of a monitor’s built-in speakers, but the Apple Studio Display’s speakers have exceeded my expectations in every way possible. Our first impressions of the Smart Monitor M8 are promising, and we look forward to putting one through its paces.
The camera of the Samsung Smart Monitor M8.
There is a 1080p SlimFit camera included in the Smart Monitor M8’s package, however it is not integrated into the screen. When not in use, it’s a separate camera that you may magnetise to your display.
Apple’s Center Stage is a great example of how this camera may be used, but it doesn’t come with a built-in privacy shutter, so you’ll have to buy one separately.
Feature-rich Smart Monitor M8 from Samsung.
Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8 uses Tizen, the company’s operating system for smart TVs, home appliances, and more. Because of the built-in microphone and speakers, you can use it like a Smart TV even if you don’t have a computer to connect to it.
When it comes to the SmartThings IoT protocol, the monitor supports it and acts as a hub you can use to operate ZigBee and Z-Wave-enabled devices.
M8: Samsung’s New Smart Monitor
Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8 was initially shown at CES 2022, but it’s just now making its way into the hands of consumers.
Even while the M8 is far less expensive than Apple’s newest monitor, what seemed to be an exciting smart display is now looking more and more like a real competitor for the Studio Display.
Obviously. We can’t know for sure until we get our hands on one, so we’ll have to wait to see whether Samsung has created a better smart monitor than Apple for half the price.