What is the difference between the various Smart Board interactive flat panel series for education?

Most people working in education will be familiar with interactive technology.
Almost 30 years ago, interactive whiteboards started to replace traditional whiteboards and blackboards in schools and the most commonly found manufacturer of interactive whiteboards in the UK was SMART with their Smart Boards.
Today, interactive whiteboards are gradually being replaced with interactive flat panels and SMART continue to be a very popular choice thanks to their range of touch screen displays.

The current range of SMART Board interactive flat panels for education includes the MX series, the 6000 series and the new 6000S and 7000R series. But what is the difference between these four options?

SMART Board MX series interactive displays

The SMART MX series interactive flat panels are the entry level displays designed to offer all the essential features needed for education at a budget friendly price.

The MX series, available in sizes 65", 75" and 86" diagonal, features anti-glare glass and commercial grade panels for reliability and long life (50.000 hrs) with 4K Ultra HD resolution, up to 20 touch points with HyPr Touch with Advanced IR touch technology. It also includes Silktouch, Simultaneous Tool Differentiation and Object awareness.

The MX series interactive flat panels come as standard with iQ embedded computing (running on Android 8 Oreo), 2 pens, 15W front facing speakers (2x), a standard wall mount, 5 years Smart Assure warranty (in the UK). Connectivity includes all the essentials such as HDMI and VGA inputs, USB, audio and networking (RJ45 as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth).

Software is a very important part of the SMART offering and the MX series doesn't disappoint: it comes with SMART Notebook basic version (no subscription required), a 1 year subscription to SMART Learning Suite which can be renewed at low cost, SMART Ink and iQ apps such as web browser, digital whiteboard and more available in the app library.

SMART Board 6000 series interactive displays

The SMART Board 6000 series has been the most popular series of interactive displays in the SMART Board range and is available in sizes 65" and 75" diagonal.

The SMART 6000 series uses DViT touch technology with up to 8-point touch. Like the MX series it features anti-glare glass and commercial grade panels for reliability and long life (50.000 hrs) with 4K Ultra HD resolution, Silktouch, Simultaneous Tool Differentiation and Object awareness.
Other standard features include iQ computing (running on Android 7.1 Nougat), 10W rear facing speakers (x2), 5 years Smart Assure warranty (in the UK) and a wide range of connectivity including HDMI, wired network, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Where the 6000 series improves on the MX series is through added convenience.
The SMART 6000 series introduces a proximity sensor which allows the display to automatically turn on when you walk in to the room and off when you leave, saving energy and extending the life of the display.
Additionally, the Pen ID and intelligent pen tray means that the board will automatically recognise which colour pen you have picked up and start writing in the correct colour without having to select it in the menu first. 

In terms of software, the SMART 6000 series also comes with SMART Notebook basic version (no subscription required), a 1 year subscription to SMART Learning Suite, SMART Ink and iQ apps.

Note that the 6000 series does not include a standard wall mount so this will need to be purchased separately.

SMART Board 6000S series interactive displays

The new SMART Board 6000S series builds on the success of the 6000 series and introduces several improvements to bridge physical and digital learning and optimise the learning environment.

The 6000S series interactive displays are available in 65", 75" and 86" diagonal, 4K Ultra HD resolution with anti-glare glass and commercial grade panels.
The HyPr Touch with InGlass touch technology ensures precision with low contact threshold so writing is free from error and artifacts, and simultaneous touch points have increased to 20 (for Windows & Mac, 10 for Chrome OS).

The Pen ID, Silktouch, Simultaneous Tool Differentiation and Object awareness found on the 6000 series are still featured on the 6000S series with the addition of ToolSense.
The exclusive ToolSense technology enables teachers and students to use and manipulate real world physical objects as tools that are automatically recognised by the display.
You can find out more about SMART ToolSense on the video below or at https://youtu.be/zsu-7yBTIkI

The 6000S series comes with embedded iQ computing (running on Android 8 Oreo), improved 20W front facing speakers (x2), 2 pens (black and red) and 2 erasers stored on an intelligent magnetic pen tray and 5 years Smart Assure warranty (in the UK). Connectivity is comprehensive with HDMI, VGA, USB (inc. USB 3.0), wired LAN (x2), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
A proximity sensor ensures the display automatically turns on and off as you enter or leave the room to minimise energy consumption and extend the display's life. New environmental sensors have also been incorporated to measure room temperature and humidity so the learning environment can be optimised.

Another improvement over the 6000 series, the 6000S series now includes a standard wall mount free of charge.

As with the other series, the 6000S interactive displays come with SMART Notebook basic version, a 1 year subscription to SMART Learning Suite, SMART Ink and iQ apps. In addition, a SMART Remote Management subscription is included for the length of the Smart Assure warranty.

SMART Board 7000R series interactive displays

The new SMART Board 7000R series replaces the 7000 series as the flagship range of SMART interactive flat panels for education.

Available in sizes 75" and 86" diagonal, the 7000R series features HyPr Touch with EMR touch technology to provide unrivalled accuracy, lag-free and pressure sensitive writing with true palm rejection to ignore a resting hand. It offers the most precise writing experience and up to 26 simultaneous touch points (20 touch, 4 pens, 2 erasers – on Windows and Mac).
Like the other SMART displays, it uses a 4K Ultra HD commercial grade panel and includes Pen ID, Silktouch, Simultaneous Tool Differentiation and Object awareness.

The embedded iQ computing runs on Android 8 Oreo and the SMART 7000R series includes 4 pens (black, red, blue and green) and 2 erasers, stored on the intelligent magnetic pen tray, 15W downward facing speakers (x2), as well as a standard wall mount and 5 years Smart Assure warranty.
As with the 6000S series, connectivity is extensive and includes HDMI, VGA, wired LAN (x2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and multiple USB (inc. USB 3.0).
The built-in proximity and ambient light sensors ensure the display is ready to use when needed and offers comfortable viewing with the right brightness level, and when you leave the room the display is turned off automatically to save energy and extend the display's life.

Again, software wise, the 7000R interactive displays come with SMART Notebook basic version, a 1 year subscription to SMART Learning Suite, SMART Ink and iQ apps, and like the 6000S series, a SMART Remote Management subscription is included for the length of the Smart Assure warranty.

Compare SMART Board Display for Education

	MX Series	6000 Series	6000S Series	7000R Series
Sizes (diag.)	65", 75", 86"	65", 75"	65", 75", 86"	75", 86"
Resolution	4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160)
Brightness	400 cd/m2	360 cd/m2	360 cd/m2	350 cd/m2
Refresh rate	60 Hz
LCD quality	Grade A
Lifespan	Commercial Grade - 50.000 hrs
Response time	65": 6ms 75", 86": 8ms	8ms
Glass	Fully heat-tempered, anti-glare
Sensors	Ambient light	Proximity	Proximity Ambient light Room Temperature Room humidity	Proximity (x2) Ambient light
INTERACTIVITY
	MX Series	6000 Series	6000S Series	7000R Series
Touch technology	HyPr Touch™ with Advanced IR	DViT®	HyPr Touch with InGlass™	HyPr Touch with EMR
Simultaneous touch points	20 – Windows® & Mac® 10 – Chrome OS™	8 – Windows & Mac 2 – Chrome OS	20 – Windows & Mac 10 – Chrome OS	26 (20 touch, 4 pen, 2 eraser) – Windows & Mac 10 – Chrome OS
Tools included	2 pens	2 pens (black, red)	2 pens (black, red) 2 erasers	4 pens (black, red, blue, green) 2 erasers
Pen tray	Magnetic	Intelligent, magnetic
Simultaneous Tool Differentiation
Object awareness™
Silktouch™
Pen ID™
ToolSense™
Pressure sensitivity
True palm rejection
CONNECTIVITY & INTERFACES
	MX Series	6000 Series	6000S Series	7000R Series
Front control panel	Power, home, input select, screen shade, freeze frame, volume buttons	Standby, input select, mute/freeze frame, volume, onscreen display menu navigation buttons
Front connector / Convenience panel	HDMI 2.0 in (HDCP 2.2), USB-A (×2), USB-B (touch)		Power, volume, freeze frame, screen shade buttons HDMI 2.0 in (HDCP 1.4 and 2.2), USB-A 3.0 (×2), USB-B 3.0 (touch)	Power, volume, freeze frame, screen shade, mute buttons HDMI 2.0 in (HDCP 1.4 and 2.2), USB-A 3.0 (×2), USB-B 3.0 (touch), USB-C
Connector panels	HDMI 2.0 out (HDCP), HDMI 2.0 in x2 (HDCP 2.2), USB-B 3.0 x2 (touch), USB-B 3.0 (touch), RS-232, VGA, S/PDIF out, Stereo 3.5 mm in/out	HDMI 1.4 in (×2), Display Port, USB-B (×3), RS-232 in, Stereo 3.5 mm out	HDMI 2.0 in x2 (HDCP 1.4 and 2.2), HDMI 2.0 out, USB-B 3.0 x3 (touch), USB-A 3.0 x1, USB-A 2.0 x1, VGA, RS-232 in/out, S/PDIF out, Stereo 3.5 mm in/out	HDMI 2.0 in x3 (HDCP 1.4 and 2.2), HDMI 2.0 out, USB-B 3.0 x2 (touch), USB-A 3.0 x3, VGA, RS-232 in/out, VGA, S/PDIF Out, Stereo 3.5 mm in/out
Wired network	RJ45 (×2) 100baseT	RJ45	RJ45 (×2) 100baseT	RJ45 (×2) 1000baseT
Wi-Fi	IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/acwith 2 × 2 MIMO (both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands)
Bluetooth	4.2 dual mode
Speakers	15 W front-facing speakers (×2)	10 W rear-facing (×2)	20 W front-facing speakers (×2)	15 W downward-facing speakers (×2)
iQ appliance		USB-A 3.0 (×2), HDMI out (HDCP 1.4), RJ45
OPS slot	Open	iQ appliance	Open	Open
iQ EXPERIENCE
	MX Series	6000 Series	6000S Series	7000R Series
Operating system	Android™ 8 Oreo	Android 7.1 Nougat	Android™ 8 Oreo	Android™ 8 Oreo
Memory	4Gb
Storage	32Gb
ACCESSORIES & WARRANTY
	MX Series	6000 Series	6000S Series	7000R Series
Remote control		Optional
Standard wall mount
VESA mounting points
Mini-VESA mount point for NUC
Warranty (UK - from September 2019)	5 years Smart Assure Warranty
SOFTWARE
	MX Series	6000 Series	6000S Series	7000R Series
SMART Notebook basic version	Included
SMART Learning Suite	1-year subscription included (renewable)
SMART Ink	Included
iQ apps and features	SMART Notebook Player Customizable home screen Live input preview Digital whiteboard Web browser Native and app-based screen sharing File and app libraries Automatic over the air (OTA) updates	SMART Notebook Player Customizable home screen Digital whiteboard Web browser Native and app-based screen sharing File and app libraries Automatic over the air (OTA) updates	SMART Notebook Player Customizable home screen Live input preview Digital whiteboard Web browser Native and app-based screen sharing File and app libraries Automatic over the air (OTA) updates	SMART Notebook Player Customizable home screen Live input preview Digital whiteboard Web browser Native and app-based screen sharing File and app libraries Automatic over the air (OTA) updates
SMART Remote Management	Optional	Optional	Subscription included for length of SMART Assure warranty term	Subscription included for length of SMART Assure warranty term