Lenovo has announced the imaginatively-named Smart Clock, aGoogle Assistant smart displaydesigned especially for the bedroom.
It challenges theAmazon Echo Spotin the cutest beside-the-bed gadget stakes, but takes a form closer to theGoogle Home Hub- and you know how much we love that.
The Lenovo Smart Display has a 4-inch touch display and the whole thing is wrapped in a fabric cover, so it will blend with your bedroom décor. It actually looks a lot like a smallEcho Show, to confuse things further. One thing it doesn’t have though is a camera - so no worry about people “dropping in” on your when you’re in bed - and there’s a mechanical mute switch on the rear, to disable the mic.
Lenovoclaims that the Smart Clock has been designed to promote good sleep habits, because you’re able to ask Google Assistant to play relaxing music or guided meditation, as well as setting up sleep routines. Yeah, that’s a bit of a stretch - we can’t see this be a substitute for self-discipline, but it will do everything thatGoogle Assistant offers.
That means you’ll get smart home control skills - including the ability to give you a gentle wake-up routine, gradually brightening your smart lights and progressively increasing the volume of your alarm. On wake-up you’ll get details about your commute.
You’ll be able to control your Chromecast so you can watch what you want on TV, as well as supporting a full range of music streaming services. You’ll even be able to check your security cameras and a whole lot more, thanks to Google Assistant’s connectivity. There’s also a USB socket on the rear so you can charge your device from it.
When you’re not interacting with your Smart Clock it will just show you the time and it also comes packed with 6W speakers, which Lenovo claims will give you clear audio. Will it be a rival for thenew Echo Dot? We can’t wait to find out.
The best part about the Lenovo Smart Clock is that it’s only going to cost $79 (we have no confirmation of the UK pricing) and it will be available from Spring 2019.
