It appears as though the days of just walking into Best Buy and buying a simple speaker might just be up. Smart speakers are popping up all over the place, and this is no surprise with how advanced Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are becoming. So what happens when the market for smart speakers becomes densely populated? Stick a screen on it. This may or may not be the design thought behind the LG ThinQ Google Assistant Touch Screen Speaker, but I kind of like it. The ThinQ boasts a high sound quality from Meridian Audio’s advanced technologies on either side of its 8-inch touch display (with built-in Chromecast) and accompanying front-facing camera. Ideal for video calls through Google Duo, this smart speaker’s functionality is really determined by the room/activity you need it for. For example, if you’re cooking and want to see the recipe step by step, the ThinQ would be perfect – it would be even more perfect if you needed to hear it at full blast in ultra high-quality sound… With pricing and a release date yet to be announced, it should be interesting to see where this will fall in regards to the competition. Designer: LG