Samsung Launches Smart Monitor M8, Now Available To Pre-Order
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Almost three months after Samsung unveiled the Smart Monitor M8 on the sidelines of CES 2022, the product is finally available for pre-order in the U.S. Now in its second generation, this variant succeeds the Smart Monitor M7 that Samsung launched during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Smart Monitor series gets its name because of its ability to transform itself into a Smart TV or a streaming device when you're done using it as a work monitor. It even came powered by Samsung's Tizen OS — the same platform that powers Samsung TVs. While these features seemed promising, the 2020 models didn't score too well in the looks department. They looked like, well, monitors, and it was pretty evident you wouldn't be buying them for their looks.
And that is exactly what Samsung wants to change in 2022. The 2022 edition of the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 lineup has a completely revamped design and seems to have taken a lot of inspiration from the colorful 24-inch iMac lineup Apple launched a year ago.
Let's take a closer look.
Samsung Smart Monitor M8: What's new?
The 2022 Samsung Smart Monitor M8 — at 11.4mm — is a lot thinner than its predecessor and boasts of a flat-back design. In addition, there are four color options on offer; Warm White, Sunset Pink, Daylight Blue, and Spring Green. What has remained unchanged are the display size (32-inches) and the resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) with support for adaptive picture technology that automatically adjusts brightness levels and color temperature depending on ambient lighting conditions.
The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 uses a QLED panel that supports HDR 10+ content with 99% sRGB coverage and a contrast ratio of 3,000:1. With a claimed viewing angle of 178-degrees, the image quality will not suffer irrespective of what angle you look at the display from. Moreover, with a response time of 4ms, this is a fairly fast monitor.
There are inbuilt 2.2 channel speakers, and the monitor also comes with Samsung's proprietary Adaptive Sound+ technology. The monitor also boasts of two eye care features — a dedicated eye-saver mode and a flicker-free mode. And yes, Samsung ships a small, SlimFit webcam with the monitor that can be attached to the top of the display as and when needed.
If you were wondering, the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 can be adjusted for tilt and height and features the following wired connectivity options; one micro HDMI port and two USB-C ports. Samsung has also thrown in support for Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi 6.
Smart features that matter
The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 gets a Smart Hub user interface that you can use to access the various smart features of the product. For example, this app can be used to easily connect the monitor wirelessly to an Apple product using Apple Airplay 2. Samsung has also thrown in support for Samsung Dex and smartphone screen mirroring. In addition, the Smart Hub user interface lets you sign in to various streaming services — including Netflix, PrimeVideo, and YouTube. The monitor also comes with a universal TV guide in select markets and offers personalized content recommendations.
The Smart Monitor M8 can also assimilate into an existing IoT ecosystem thanks to an inbuilt IoT hub called SmartThings. Then there is the inbuilt far-field microphone that ensures that the monitor can respond to Google Assistant, Alexa, and Bixby voice commands. You can reserve the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 starting today for $699.99 directly from Samsung. The company is yet to reveal when the product will begin shipping in the U.S.