Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8 is no-holds-barred display that packs a punch

External monitors are more popular than ever before, and for good reason: at a time when so many of us spend hours staring at PC screens, extra real estate is a genuine quality-of-life enhancer. A secondary display panel not only allows for much more breathing room, but also enables a nicer multimedia viewing experience.

Samsung when it comes to display technologies, and with its Smart Monitor M8, the company is flexing its engineering muscles. The product’s large 32-inch flat panel not only serves as an external computer display, but also as a full-fledged compact smart TV.

I placed the Smart Monitor M8 on my desk to see how much utility the product could provide — here’s my experience with using it for both productivity and content consumption purposes.

Editor’s Choice

Samsung Smart Monitor M8

$400 $700 Save $300

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is an all-in-one TV and computer display that comes with its own operating system, internet access, a dedicated remote, and USB-C output.

Pros

• Bright and beautiful display panel
• Lots of I/O flexibility
• Sturdy metalic stand

Cons

• Mushy rear-mounted buttons
• Tizen operating system could be more polished
• Large external power brick

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Price, availability, and specs

Considering that the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 houses a rather massive 32-inch display panel within its chassis, it’s a relatively large and weighty product overall. In terms of dimensions, the monitor comes in at 280.9 x 24.3 x 7.9-inches (713.4 x 616.2 x 200.1mm) with its stand attached, or 280.9 x 16.7 x 1 inches (713.4 x 423.8 x 24.5mm) without the stand. Weight wise, the unit clocks in at 15.9lbs (7.2kg) with its stand, or 9.3lbs (4.2kg) without it.

The monitor’s display bezels are slim and symmetrical, which keeps physical dimensions more approachable than would otherwise be the case. The entire unit is encased within a lightweight textured white plastic, and the included stand is constructed of a sturdy metallic material.

Naturally, the 32-inch LCD flat panel is the star of the show here, and it’s a pretty nice display overall. Specs-wise, it offers a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels at a 16:9 widescreen ratio, which is equivalent to 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD). The screen is capable of 300 nits of brightness, and it runs at a refresh rate of 60Hz. Both HDR10 and the more advanced HDR10+ visual standards are supported, which is welcome.

In the box, the monitor ships with a few additional goodies beyond the standard AC adapter. Both USB-C and HDMI cables are provided for quickly plugging into compatible hardware, and there’s even a USB-A extension dongle for added flexibility.

The monitor also ships with a dedicated remote that’s rechargable via USB-C. An external webcam unit rounds out the selection, which magnetically latches to the top of the monitor and interfaces using built-in pogo pins.

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is available in a single white colorway at $700. For this price, you get all the aforementioned accessories in the box, including the monitor stand itself.

What I liked about the Samsung Smart Monitor M8

Roomy screen real estate and easy output switching make for a flexible (and practical) user experience

Related Topics:DisplaymonitornoholdsbarredpackspunchSamsungsSmart

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