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Lenovo's Smart Display with Google Assistant is on the road to greatness after latest update

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By Cosmin Vasile

Published: Dec 17, 2018, 3:02 AM

Lenovo's Smart Display with Google Assistant is on the road to greatness after latest update

Lenovo's two Smart Displays are among the first smart speakers powered by Google Assistant to feature ... displays. Unlike other smart speakers, these ones allow users to place Skype video calls or watch YouTube and other videos.

They come in two variations based on the display size – 8-inch and 10-inch, but they're only available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the markets that these products can really shine.

Now, the Lenovo Smart Displays are already decent products, but the latest update makes them even more useful. Support for multiple remote control tiles, dismissable home tiles, photo actions, updated cookbook feature, and many more new features and improvements are turning these smart speakers into great ones.

First off, the virtual cookbook that you can access using a Lenovo Smart Display has been vastly improved. You can now simply say “Hey Google, save this recipe” and the recipe will be added to your Cookbook. You will then be able to say “Hey Google, show me my Cookbook” to find the recipe that you need faster than ever.

The following voice commands are now available with Lenovo's Smart Display: “show my cookbook,” “add to cookbook,” “remove from cookbook,” “save this recipe,” and “show me my save recipes.”

As mentioned earlier, Lenovo's smart speakers now support the ability to dismiss tiles from the home screen (swipe them away). However, some tiles cannot be dismissed, such as Calendar, Commute, Explore, News, Music & Video Recommendations, as well as Upcoming Reminder.

Furthermore, your Lenovo Smart Display has just received some improvements the heat/cool thermostat control. You can now use commands like “turn on heat/cool mode,” “set heat/cool mode to 68 and 72 degrees,” “set the (thermostat name) between 68 to 72,” and “turn off the (thermostat name).”

Also, the update will allow the Lenovo Smart Display to always show the remote control when users access it via voice or the Home View for another device even if they have a local media session.

A couple of new actions have been added too, such as the ability to favorite, share and remove photos. Last but not least, you'll now be able to control the brightness and on/off state for each light within a group light controller.

According to Lenovo, the so-called R5 Update is making its way to both 8-inch and 10-inch Smart Display smart speakers in over the next week, so be patient if you don't see the update right away.

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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brought a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.