Samsung’s line of Smart Monitor displays have been around since late 2020, and they offer this weird hybrid of functionality between being a regular computer monitor and doubling as a smart TV too. In fact, we even reviewed a pair of them awhile back which you can check out here. Since then, Samsung has just launched a new model to our shores, the Samsung Smart Monitor M8.
The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is a 32-inch, 4K resolution display using a VA panel, with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It also has a 4ms response time, with a typical brightness of 400nits. There’s HDR10+ certification along with 99% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut. It has a 3,000:1 contrast ratio too. There’s some cool features as well such as the ability to switch to a 21:9 display for a more ultrawide experience which ought to be useful when playing games for instance. As for speakers, the Smart Monitor M8 has built in 2.2ch stereo speakers.
It also comes in a slim chassis with a stand reminiscent of the Apple iMac. The Smart Monitor M8 comes with a USB-C Hub that lets you power up your devices with 65W of power, along with a Micro HDMI 2.0 port, WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. Oddly enough, there’s no full sized HDMI ports nor are there any DisplayPort ports, though the USB-C port is apparently able to transmit data and display signal between devices. Of course, you will also have the option to hook it up to your computer or laptop wirelessly if you’d prefer.
While those specs along may not seem like much, what really sets it apart is the that it has much more functionality than just a regular monitor. For one, it runs Tizen OS under the hood, and has built-in Microsoft 365 services too. Google Duo is also onboard the Smart Monitor M8, allowing you to make video calls with ease using the bundled FHD SlimFit Camera that . There’s other features too including mobile-to-screen mirroring, remote access and even Bixby, allowing you to speak and give commands to Bixby. Most notably, it can double as a smart TV, where you can use streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube independent of a computer.
You will need to fork out a bit more than what you might expect for a regular 32-inch monitor though. The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 will have a retail price of RM3,488, and if you pre-order one from now till the 6 of April, you’ll also be able to snag yourself a free Smart Keyboard Trio 500, a Bluetooth Mouse Slim, and a pair of Samsung Bud Live earbuds. If you’re interested, you can pre-order the Smart Monitor M8 over at the Samsung Malaysia website.
You could also seek out the older Smart Monitor M7 and Smart Monitor M5 displays if you prefer. They start at RM1,538 and RM2,088 respectively and you can also get them on the Samsung Malaysia website. If you are interested, you can check out our earlier review of those two here:
