Small Footprint, Lots of Features
When I unboxed the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential, I was impressed by how small and lightweight it was. It takes up barely any space on your nightstand or desk, and it’s light enough that you could easily pack it for vacation if you wanted. The fabric material is also an interesting part of the design, and much softer on the hand than traditional plastic alarm clocks.
The clock comes with an included DC adapter, and does need to be plugged in to work. However, it is also compatible with the Lenovo Smart Clock docking eco system, which is great for those who already have one. Personally, I think a battery would make this even better in case of power outages or if you have limited outlets, but it’s not exactly a necessity for a clock.
For the display’s extra features, you have two options: you can either set it to show the weather conditions in your area, or you can use it as a noise meter (with readings in decibels). You can also adjust the screen’s brightness.
You’d probably guess the speaker doesn’t have the greatest output ever. However, for a small, 1 x 1.5-inch 3-watt speaker, it definitely gets the job done. I tried playing one of my favorite Lizzo songs at max volume, and could hear everything clearly without any quality issues. The response time for the voice assist is also fairly quick—as long as you remember to say “Alexa!” first.
Beyond that, you have the option to set multiple alarms using the buttons on the top of the clock itself, or you can ask Alexa to set an alarm for you.
Personally, I found the set up for the alarms a bit frustrating. You have to push specific buttons in a specific order, and if you pause for a few seconds, it clears out the alarm you were programming. I also had trouble getting it to save the alarms. For this reason, I’d recommend telling Alexa to set the alarm for you.
Streamlined Setup With Bluetooth
I think we all have a love-hate relationship with smart home technology in terms of setup. Sometimes, devices run into issues connecting to Wi-Fi networks or syncing with your smartphone. However, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essentials took just a few minutes to set up. Needless to say, I was impressed with the setup process.
From there, the Alexa app pretty much took over and walked me through the setup.
The entire process took maybe two minutes, although I did have to wait a minute for the clock to perform a firmware update. Once the clock was connected and the firmware was up to date, I could easily change items from within the Alexa app.
Alexa Does It All
Even without the app, you can simply say, “Alexa!” and give commands once you’ve connected the device. The clock will then respond and perform the requested action. During my testing, I asked Alexa to set alarms and timers, play music, and answer simple questions.
My children had far greater fun—they asked Alexa to play fart sounds and giggled for nearly an hour. You can also ask Alexa to perform commands to other devices (like a smart thermostat) as long as the other device is also Alexa compatible.
