AI is in everything, so why wouldn’t they start shoving it directly into not just computers, but also the things we plug into them? Samsung just announced a lineup of Smart Monitors with built-in AI, and for a limited time, you can pre-order them and get a $100 to $300 credit to use in Samsung’s store.
(not so heavy) metal
“Measuring just 9.9mm thick, the M9 is built with real metal and proprietary heat pipe technology for sleek design and top-tier performance,” says Samsung’s press materials.
I’ve never had a problem with a plastic monitor, but then again, perhaps I just never pushed one that hard. The metal is a nice touch when it comes to fit and finish, cementing the expensive monitor as a premium product.
Not thrilled about the idea of spending $1,600 on a monitor, even if it does come with $300 of Samsung store credit? There are cheaper options for the Smart Monitor:
- 32″ 4K Smart Monitor (M8 M80F) for $700, with $150 in Samsung credit.
- 43″ 4K Smart Monitor (M7 M70F) for $500, with $100 in Samsung credit.
- 32″ 4K Smart Monitor (M7 M70F) for $400, with $100 in Samsung credit.
As for the AI capabilities, Samsung is being kind of vague. The AI Picture Optimizer found on the M9 M90F and M80 M80F “adapts the visuals to help you work on documents with comfort, get fully immersed in games with deep, rich blacks, and watch videos in vibrant colors,” as Samsung puts it.
How AI does this and why it takes AI, specifically, to do this is all hand-waved away in Samsung’s pre-launch materials. At least the AI Upscaling is more straightforward, by which only the M9 M90F uses its onboard AI to raise the resolution of lower-res video to 4K resolution.
You can pre-order the Smart Monitors now, and they’ll be available… I don’t know? Samsung Global’s press release mentions that they’ll be “rolling out to markets worldwide, starting this month,” with a disclaimer that “availability of models may vary by market.”
We know that the US is getting all the models because Samsung US’ press release says so, but it lacks the detail about launching this month. There’s not a lot of this month left, as the calendar sheds daily pages like leaves. July is just a few days away, so maybe we’ll have to wait and see?
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