Samsung M8 Smart Monitor review: a brilliant display with lots of extras

The Samsung M8 Smart Monitor aims to be one of the best 4K monitors and then some, with extras like a webcam, a remote control, and an independent connection to the web that means you can run apps such as Netflix and Spotify directly from the device.

If you're looking for a premium 32-inch 4K display that also does a bit more, then the Samsung M8 Smart Monitor is a great option. We'll guide you through everything you need to know about this screen right here, from the tech specs, to how we test, and the end user experience in the real world.

Choosing a new monitor can be tricky with so many makes and models to pick from, but we're here to help as much as we can – we'd also recommend taking a look at our guides to the best ultrawide monitors and the best USB-C monitors to see what else is out there.

Samsung M8 Smart Monitor: price and availability

The Samsung M8 Smart Monitor is out and available to buy now, with an official retail price of £699 in the UK and $699.99 in the US – check the widgets embedded on this page and you might find you can get it for cheaper than that. It's also worth checking our Samsung discount codes to see if you can lower the cost. We haven't seen the monitor appear at many online retailers as yet (pre-orders only began on 12th April 2022), but you can pick it up direct from Samsung USA.

Samsung M8 Smart Monitor: design and setup

The Samsung M8 Smart Monitor takes a good few minutes to set up – it's one of the first monitors we've tested in a while that actually needs a screwdriver to put together, and then you need to install the mobile Samsung SmartThings app and go through dozens of setup screens. From setting up on-board apps to getting connected to the internet, you've got some work to do before you can actually start using the monitor. All this extra time invested pays off later on, of course.

Other marks against it are the lack of any rotation and swivel options: you can't turn this into a monitor oriented in portrait mode, and if you want it to face in a different direction then you need to move the stand. There is some degree of tilt and height adjustment available, however.

Fortunately, there's also a lot about the design and build of the Samsung M8 that hugely impresses. It's really slim and stylish, with the actual monitor itself squeezed into a chassis less than 12mm (0.47-inches) thick. Plastic dominates, but it's all nicely done, and the screen itself has a gorgeous-looking matte finish. What's more, you can pick up the device in a choice of tasteful colours: blue, pink, green and white.

The port selections are a little unusual. There's a micro HDMI port here (a HDMI-to-micro-HDMI cable is included), as well as one USB-C port for connectivity, and one USB-C port for use as a hub. Other monitors will offer more in the way of ports – in both number and variety – but if you consider that the Samsung M8 has plenty of functionality built right in then we're happy with what you get. There's no 3.5 mm port for attaching a microphone or headphones, however.

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Samsung M8 Smart Monitor: features and picture

First and foremost the Samsung M8 Smart Monitor brings with it a crisp and clear picture: everything from spreadsheets to movies look bright, detailed and smooth, and we can easily imagine ourselves spending hours either typing out essays or sitting back and catching up with some binge watching on this screen, with the 32-inch, 4K resolution used to its maximum potential.

The specs that you need to know about are 400 nits of typical brightness, a 3,000:1 static contrast ratio, support for HDR10+, a grey-to-grey response time of 4ms, a 60Hz refresh rate and 99 percent coverage of the sRGB colour space. Those are great specs for a consumer monitor, and it's only really serious gamers and professional creatives who are going to have any quibbles (users who will most likely want to pay significantly more in order to beat those specs).

The Samsung M8 also shines in terms of everything else you can do with it. It works pretty well as a smart, internet-enabled TV as well as a monitor, and the included remote control makes navigation a breeze (you can also use a little joystick button on the back to get around the screens). The audio isn't stellar but it's certainly good enough for movies and TVs. The on-board OS is Tizen, so most of the popular streaming apps are available as a result.

Add in the attachable webcam and there's so much you can do with this monitor even before you've connected a computer to it. There is of course support for Samsung DeX, which means you can run apps streamed from your Samsung smartphone on the M8, and as an added bonus you've got smart assistant voice control available as well – Samsung Bixby and Amazon Alexa are the two that you can pick from.

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Samsung M8 Smart Monitor review: verdict

The Samsung M8 Smart Monitor really impresses, in both the "smart" and the "monitor" aspects. First of all it works very well as a display for your laptop or desktop, with that excellent 4K resolution and bright, even picture quality – we've come to expect a certain level of display expertise from Samsung down the years, and it's once again in evidence when it comes to the M8.

Then there's all the other stuff you can do with it: the webcam, the remote, the streaming apps. It's like having a Chromecast or a Fire TV stick built into the frame of the monitor itself, only you don't have to use up a port. All of this works really well, and we like the pile of extras you get on top too, everything from integrated Samsung DeX functionality to support for AirPlay streaming.

It's by no means a cheap monitor, but it's not an expensive one either. Take a look at something like the Apple Studio Display, for example: that costs around twice as much but doesn't do anywhere near as much in terms of features and options. Yes, you can get better specs from other screens, but you'd have to pay yet more for the pleasure.

Overall this is a monitor that we'd very much recommend if it offers the functions that you're looking for – it's a high-quality display that you're going to get plenty of use out of in all its different guises. Easily one of the best 4K 32-inch consumer monitors that money can buy. 

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Also consider

There's certainly no shortage of competition for the Samsung M8 Smart Monitor, though no other screen really matches it in terms of features and functions. If you want to stick with the 4K screen and the minimal looks, perhaps consider the Acer CB282K: it's slightly smaller than the Samsung monitor, but it gives you more flexibility in terms of ports, and it comes in at a significantly lower price as well.

Another monitor that offers both a 4K resolution and USB-C connectivity, like the Samsung M8, is the HP Z27k G3. There aren't any built-in speakers on this particular model, but you get plenty of connectivity options, and the price is lower than what you'll have to pay for the Samsung display. As the name suggests, the screen is 27-inches from corner to corner, so it's not quite as big, but still a good option.

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