Apparently, the analysts at Best Buy are on to us after we reported how well the new Lenovo Smart Display works, especially in the kitchen. Now PhoneArena is reporting that Best Buy is including a complimentary Google Home Mini with the $199 8-inch Lenovo Smart Display, automatically saving you $49.
Naturally, Google Assistant is the key to both devices, relying heavily on voice-activated commands, some light artificial intelligence, and a host of ever-evolving Google Assistant apps.
Because it was built for both voice and music applications, the sound on the Google Home Mini makes it a great companion for the office or kitchen, enabling users to play music, listen to podcasts, and catch up on the news, although it’s still up to debate whether the screenless speaker or the display has better sound.
But the incredible resolution of the Lenovo Smart Display — 1,920 x 1,200 on the 10-inch screen and 1,280 x 800 on the 8-inch model — accentuates and augments all the things that the Google Home Mini is designed to enable. It makes a great visual companion when users can customize the home screen with snapshots from Google Photos or just about any other source. Users can also use it to augment the recipes that the Google Home Mini can read out loud by tossing up videos to help users with any tricky parts of a new recipe.
The Google Home Mini is a really constructive tool but the augmentation of visuals and video that the Lenovo Smart Display can display just boosts the appeal of many of the apps that the Google Home Mini is designed to run. From YouTube videos to networked security systems (such as live feeds from a Nest security cam) to home video, the Lenovo Smart Display is a steal at its retail price, let alone tossing in a free $50 Google Home Mini.
However, it’s always good to remember that this is just another example of Google’s determination to win the smart speaker war against Apple. From giving away the devices along with donuts to holiday discounts, it’s still possible to grab a Google Home Mini from time to time. It might just make good business sense, since no less than Morgan Stanley has advised Google to simply give away the devices for free.
