What They Say
Samsung announced a small range of ‘Smart’ monitors built around its Tizen operating systems, used for its TVs and SoC-based smart commercial displays. There is an M7 in 32″, with ultraHD and the M5 with FullHD resolution and in 27″ and 32″ sizes.
Features include connectivity with mobile devices including AirPlay and connections to Samsung’s DeX (although Engadget didn’t think much of the wireless DeX functionality with a Galaxy Note 20). The monitor supports Microsoft 365 cloud apps and there is embedded Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth). USB Type-C provides charging up to 65W. There’s a remote control and the sets support voice operation using Bixby.
The M5 sets are available in some markets from this month at $230 and $280, while the M7 will cost around $400 and be available in early December. The sets will eventually be available worldwide.
What We Think
It’s arguable whether this is a monitor or a Smart TV without a tuner. Either way, it could find applications in the home or ‘lightweight’ commercial applications. They are something like a non-portable Chromebook. In the past, there have been moves to develop smart monitors, but the challenge was that the prices were too high. I wrote about this in a Display Daily several years ago. (Smartphone Opportunities and ‘Price Gravity’). If the smart monitors are too close in price to entry level PCs, they don’t look very attractive. However, a Chromebook and a 27″ FullHD monitor would cost around $400, so these new Samsung sets might find some traction. Of course, the level of streaming content available would make a 27″ or 32″ unit a very handy bedroom set. They may even find applications in small homes as a main set. I have long wondered about the need for tuners in TVs, I haven’t used one for ten years or more. (BR)
