Google makes some of the best Google Assistant-powered smart displays. There are also offerings available from Lenovo, JBL, and LG in a different form factor or at a lower price point, though admittedly, third-party Assistant display options were always limited. Until now, non-Google smart displays provided mostly the same experience as the Google Nest Hub or the Hub Max. But going forward, this won't be the case as the big G won't provide software updates to any third-party smart displays.
First spotted by 9to5Google, Google updated its support page about Duo calling on smart speakers and displays to reflect this change in its policy. The company notes that the quality of video calls and meetings could be affected on unsupported third-party devices in the future. Below is a list of all the third-party Assistant-powered smart displays that will no longer receive updates:
- Lenovo Smart Display (7", 8", and 10")
- JBL Link View
- LG Xboom AI ThinQ WK9 Smart Display
Last year, Google turned off the web browser on third-party smart displays to protect users from inappropriate web content. And now, with the company no longer providing updates for third-party Assistant displays, it is effectively the end of the road for them. The writing was already on the wall for third-party Google Assistant displays. Unlike the Nest Hub, they never received the Fuchsia update, so it was only a matter of time before Google discontinued support for them.
However, Google's move won't immediately affect the functionality of any third-party smart displays. They will continue to function as is but don't expect them to gain new features in the future. So, there's no reason for you to go out and upgrade to a new Google-branded smart display right away, especially with the imminent launch of the Pixel Tablet and its companion dock.