If you need to have the simplest kind of smart speaker in your house, this newest device from Lenovo might be the one that will fit your minimalist requirements. The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is a new variant of the previously released Lenovo Smart Clock. This time around, you won’t see the already simple enough LCD on the front of the device but instead, you’ll get a traditional-looking alarm clock interface but still powered by Google Assistant. It is similar to the price range of the Nest Mini but you will get more functionalities from it.
The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential has a traditional looking clock screen with big LED digits to give you the time along with some simple graphics to represent the weather and temperature. It is also shaped like your alarm clock if it was wedged and is covered by a soft-touch fabric material. It has support for auto-dimming depending on the lighting conditions of your room. It also has a built-in nightlight at the rear so you won’t need to grope in the dark.
It is a smart speaker after all so Google Assistant is there to give you all the smarts. It can answer your questions, give you updates, play your music, give you weather and traffic reports, etc. You can also integrate third-party apps and services so you can control smart lights and appliances through voice commands. The device has a 3W speaker and two passive radiator plus Bluetooth support and a USB-A port so you can also charge your phone.
In case you don’t want to use it as a smart speaker, there’s a switch at the back that will mute the microphones. There are also other physical buttons at the top which you can use to set your alarm manually, control media playback, and adjust the volume in case you’re using it as a good ole speaker. So if you want to use it as a not-so-smart speaker, it’s still pretty much functional.
You can get the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential this coming holiday season and you only have to spend $49 on it which is around the same price as the Nest Mini. You’ll still see the Lenovo Smart Clock around and if you prefer something that has a simple LCD at the front, you can get it at $79.
