Google Meet ‘Series One’ adds 27″ & 65″ AIO touchscreens w/ whiteboard stylus, USB-C monitor mode

Back in September, Google announced a more integrated video conferencing kit created in partnership with Lenovo. The latest in the “Series One” Google Meet hardware family are all-in-one touchscreens that are essentially Jamboards with better cameras and two sizes.

• Meet will soon let you make 1:1 calls without using links, like classic Hangouts
• Google’s rename of ‘Rooms’ in Chat and Gmail to ‘Spaces’ is now underway

Series One Desk 27

Google’s Series One Desk 27 is targeted at “small shared spaces or your desktop, either in the office or at home.” You get a 27-inch touchscreen that shows your upcoming meetings in a feed at the right, while the other side lets you quickly start a new conversation, enter a meeting code, call a phone, or whiteboard. 

It runs Google Jamboard for collaborative sketching, while a stylus magnetically attaches to the front. The writing instrument is thicker than the first-generation Apple Pencil with a black tip and Google Meet logo. It’s passive with no Bluetooth pairing or charging required,

That’s surrounded by speaker grills/soundbar with Google touting “high-fidelity audio” and “high-definition video.” There’s TrueVoice multi-channel noise cancellation (four mic arrays on the front and back), voice amplification, auto-framing, and “Hey Google” control. It can be mounted to the wall or there’s a stand. The Series One Desk 27 costs $1,999 and will be available in late Q4 2021.

Series One Board 65 

Meanwhile, the Series One Board 65 is a larger version with 4K panel and two pens. Besides wall mounting, there’s a rolling stand and camera attachment (with PTZ) at the top. Hardware controls on the back let you adjust volume, turn on/off, and switch input (including to HDMI). 

Google says the software is optimized for Meet, but a USB-C connection allows you to connect to a laptop and use other conferencing apps. In this mode, it essentially acts as a regular monitor. For all intents and purposes, this unit is a modern Jamboard, with the original announced in 2016. Availability is slated for Q1 2022 at $6,999.

Google worked with Avocor on the Series One Desk 27 and Board 65 with pre-orders handled through the interactive display partner.

Another third-party piece of Google Meet hardware announced today is the Rayz Rally Pro speaker dock. Made by Appcessori, plugging in automatically launches Google Meet. You get some physical controls, USB-C port, and a fabric-covered body.