The M8 offers a good monitor and a decent TV for less than buying each separately, but otherwise things are starting to get messy. The built-in stand is not very adjustable and cannot be replaced with a better one. The detachable webcam is cleverly designed but the image quality is mediocre, the Tizen interface is confusing to navigate, the browser used to load web apps such as Microsoft 365 is horribly slow and there is no compatibility with Google Docs or Gmail. As it stands, the machine is simply not ready to handle basic workloads without being connected. We hope Samsung will improve these aspects in the next iteration.
The M8’s ports are clustered at the rear, below where the stand is connected. There are two USB-C ports there: one is USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, which supports DP 1.4 video and data pass-through and 65 W charging. The other is downstream, supporting USB 2.0 data speeds and up to 15 W of power, ideal for charging that remote or smartphone, or connecting low-bandwidth peripherals such as input devices.
We had no problems connecting a keyboard or external webcam, and connecting a USB-C SSD worked well (incredibly slow, taking six minutes to transfer a 13GB file), but only if we first disconnected the snap-on webcam. micro HDMI 2.0 port (micro HDMI to HDMI cable included) and a DC barrel input for power. A full-size HDMI port, an Ethernet jack for better streaming quality and two more USB ports would be great.
The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is ideal for media consumption. The built-in smart platform makes it easy to stream your favourite shows and movies if you don’t want to do it from a PC; the 4k resolution provides a crisp image and the 32-inch screen has a narrow viewing angle, so the image looks inaccurate when viewed from the side, but it’s enough to share with someone It is large enough to share with others. It also displays deep blacks with no glare, making it ideal for viewing content in bright or dark rooms.
First, the good points. The user interface of the remote control and monitor is very responsive. After the constant lag with my cheap TCL Roku TV, the instant response was a pleasure. I also like that the remote control is rechargeable via USB-C. Furthermore, the volume and channel button/lever controls are clever to a fault. (Press to mute, push up to increase volume, push down to decrease volume). Samsung’s Tizen OS user interface is attractive, but even less efficient than last year, with two main menus to get to settings.