Let’s say you a A $150 smart display for your nightstand or kitchenbut when you test it, the interface just lags. The screen looks washed out and it’s actually a locked billboard for the manufacturer. Why do you have to watch ads in your home on the equipment you own?
The irony here is that you probably have flagship phone for three years In your drawer with a 120 Hz AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 8 series processor and a high-quality camera. All the features that dwarf the hardware inside the brand new Echo Show or Google Nest Hub. Custom smart displays are budget tablets dressed as speakers. Your old phone is a high-performance computer, and with a 10-minute setup, it can surpass them in terms of speed, privacy and visual quality.
While companies like Amazon and Google dominate the kitchen counter with dedicated smart displays, these devices are underpowered. In 2026, an older flagship phone like the Galaxy S21 or even the Google Pixel 6 isn’t just a budget alternative; it is a superior compute node in almost every measurable way.
The phone is very good
Better features for free? count me in
What is the actual hardware gap when you compare an old phone to a smart home display or hub? Most smart displays are really lagging, even compared to older phones.
First, the screen itself: most smart displays use 720p or 800p LCD panels with low peak brightness, but an older flagship phone can offer infinite contrast 1080p and AMOLED (obviously depending on the model). It’s perfect for a bedside clock that doesn’t glow in the dark or show weird gray shadows when it should be off.
The processor itself is also significantly better. The Echo Show 8 uses a mid-range MediaTek chip that struggles with multitasking, but your older phone likely has a high-end Arm SOC that can handle background apps, video calls, and dashboard updates without breaking a sweat. Think about how many apps you ran at the same time when using your old phone and it probably didn’t wrap.
Finally, let’s talk about the camera. Custom displays often have a 5MP or 13MP webcam-quality sensor, but your older phone’s 50MP main sensor or 12MP front sensor offers better HDR, low-light performance, and face tracking.
But despite all that, where your phone really and truly shines and wins as a smart home device is the array of sensors it has available to you through it. The phone has multiple sensors including GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor and proximity sensor.
All of these sensors have different use cases depending on what you plan to use your phone for and where you will keep it. You can use your phone’s proximity sensor to wake up the screen only when you walk near it, or you can use the light sensor to automatically turn off your smart lights when the sun comes up. You can access all of these sensors without spending an extra penny, without buying additional Zigbee sensors or various automations on the table.
using Home Assistant Companion appthe phone can also act as a Bluetooth tracker and signal your home office to turn on as soon as your smartwatch or headphones come within range of that phone.
You don’t need to see any more ads
The phone allows full customization
Another factor to consider is that your phone is probably better when it comes to software implementation. You don’t have to worry about ads when you use your phone. Many dedicated smart home displays are increasingly filled with sponsored content and forced recommendations. You can ask Alexa a question, and while she’s giving you the answer you’re looking for, she can play an ad right after, or your smart screen itself can display an ad every once in a while, like a mini billboard in your home.
You also get complete customization while using the phone. You choose the UI on your Android phone. Whatever you want to watch, you can use the full kiosk browsers or the Home Assistant dashboard to create a 100% custom dashboard. It is also possible to run multiple programs at the same time. Let’s say you want to manage Spotify, YouTube, your security camera feed and a digital photo frame all at the same time. The phone can do this without any problems. The hub often kills background programs to save RAM.
When the power goes out, the Nest Hub dies, but your old phone has a built-in UPS (that’s its battery). This means it will stay online. Your alarms still sound and your automation logic remains intact. You don’t have to worry about your phone losing connection to your home.
Also, the phone is much easier to install compared to the big screen. For a floating look, you can use a simple MagSafe-style magnetic sticker on the back of the phone and a magnetic mount on your kitchen tile that can be removed in seconds.
A smart screen is not a very good investment
Use the technology you already have
If you need a loud speaker for a party, then buy a dedicated smart speaker, but if you want a true smart display for information, control and intelligence, then your trash is actually a treasure. An old phone sitting in the back of a junk box might make a better smart home hub or display than a custom version. Better stop buying underpowered plastic cases and start buying back the high end gear you already own.
