Exciting news from Lenovo ahead of CES, a new Microsoft Teams Endpoint. The Lenovo ThinkSmart View is a dedicated unit in a similar form factor as smart home assistant displays like the Google Home Hub or Echo Show. In fact, as Jimmy Vaughan points out, the form factor is the same as the Smart Display 8 inch Tablet with the Google Assistant.
It’s a dedicated device with an 8-inch touch screen, mic, speakers and camera. It’s android based and running the Microsoft Teams IP Phone app, so the same app as the Yealink VP59 Teams IP Video Phone. Lenovo position use cases as “from private and home offices to shared workspaces and common areas to privacy booths”.
You can use it in a speakerphone mode or use the Bluetooth to pair it with a headset. The list price is $349 or $449 with a ThinkPad X1 ANC Bluetooth Headset.
At this price point, I can see it being a great endpoint for a permanent work from home user who wants the ease and flexibility of a dedicated device. Or maybe a cheaper video option for a small huddle space as kind of a speakerphone with video.
ThinkSmart View is expected to be shipping February 2020.
- Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 624, Octa-Core A53 1.8 GHz
- OS: Android Open Source Project (AOSP) 8.1
- Camera: 5MP 720p wide-angle with privacy shutter
- Display: 8” HD (1280×800) IPS touchscreen
- Speakers: 1.75” 10W full-range speakers with 2x passive tweeters
- Mic: 2 x 360-degree microphone array with a mute button
- WLAN 802.11 AC 2.4G/5G
- Bluetooth® 4.2
Great video overview of the device here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcmBEtfyxCg
Lenovo ThinkSmart View datasheet
ThinkSmart Manager Software
Lenovo also announced new ThinkSmart Manager software. Offering manageability of select ThinkSmart devices to remotely deploy, manage, configure, update and resolve issues. A single console provides real-time status by individual device and can generate reports on issues and usage trends. It looks like this is more around the Microsoft Teams Rooms/Windows PC based units.
This is very exciting. But, is the device designed to be used more for one’s desk? Or is it meant to be used in a meeting room, like their ThinkSmart hub?