Lenovo - Smart Clock (2nd Gen) 4" Smart Display with Google Assistant and Wireless Charging Dock - Abyss Blue

============================== >>>>> Bottom Line Up front: <<<<< ============================== The Leno Smart Clock 2 (w/charging dock) is literally capable of doing everything your old “non-smart” alarm clock does; but in my opinion, does all those things way better. Having built in Google Assistant functionality along with extra useful design features, such as a built-in night light and wireless charging base help make the Smart Clock 2 a top choice if you’re considering a smart clock…..so long as you don’t have to have to be tied into the Amazon/Alexa Eco-System. I appreciated the Smart Clock 2 being a “clock” more so than many of the media steaming/consuming, video camera chat enabled “smart displays” that are out there. As a desktop companion, there wasn't much I couldn't do to stay on top my schedule and get things done with addition of Google Assistant functionality. ========================= - Overall Design/Aesthetics: - ========================= I am a fan of simple, clean, design aesthetics. That being said, the Smart Clock 2 ticks that box off quite well. The heather grey exterior covering on the main “display unit” has a nice clean, modern look that blends in with almost any desk, counter, or night table. The fabric like material feels durable, well formed; yet somehow soft at the same time, which I really liked. The charging base and integrated night light seamlessly blend in with the main display unit, and allows both pieces to appear as one physical unit. Thanks to the high strength magnets in the docking section, they also feel extra sturdy even when just picked up by the base alone. The plastic material used on the wireless charging base feels semi-slick and a little less “luxe” feeling in texture when compared to the main unit itself. I appreciate the little “flecks” of grey coloring emplaced into the exterior shell of the docking station, as it helped to hide dust and dirt; but something about those flecks made the base seem slightly off when contrasted to the grey used in the main speaker in my opinion. The "night light" ring also seamlessly blends into the grey base and is pretty hard to notice when not actively in use. I am always fan of multiple color options, and I think the Smart Clock 2 looks even more stylish in some of the other colors they make this model in (Abyss Blue or Shadow Black). The added USB Type A port on the back also allowed me to plug my Smart watch charger for even more functionality. . ===================== - Smart Clock 2 usage: - ===================== I’ve been using the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 (and its wonderful wireless charging dock) on my main desktop for a good week now, and I have been really happy how it has been working out for me. I currently own and have used a fair share of “smart” clocks and displays over the years, which is why I when I say I think the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 is worthy of serious consideration, its not for lack of comparison/time with other devices on the market. For starters, having the integrated wireless charging pad within reach has really been useful in keeping my phones topped up on power and always within arms reach while I am working at my desk. The charging pad area itself is reasonably sized, and functioned flawlessly with my Samsung Note 20 and Galaxy S21 (they even displayed the “fast wireless” charging indicator). Unfortunately, I could not get my Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 or Watch 4 to charge. I’m not sure if it has to do with the large raised “+” sign on the middle that may prevent flush contact with enough source, or some other technical reason however as I previously mentioned in the design portion; I got around this by plugging my watch charter into the USB-A port on the back of the with no issues. Surprisingly, I have found the built-in night light to be SUPER useful. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to use it all but I have found it a nice source of ambient lighting for my general desktop area. It has helped me helped me see things and documents, while allowing to keep background lighting to a minimum and helping to reduce additional eyestrain from being on the computer for hours on end. Fun fact, the light can go as bright as 11 lumens – but I don't recommend keeping it at that level if your actually using to try and sleep. To add to that, you can even control the night light by simply using Google Assistant Voice Commands as well. Lenovo’s decision to include Google Assistant is what makes the Smart Clock 2 - "smart" to begin with. I’ve watched Google’s Assistant grow tremendously over the years, and thanks to this added functionality; there are so many possibilities that open up that only this type of digital assistance integration can bring. With just my voice, the Smart Clock 2 allowed me to control my smart bulbs around my house, set the temperature my Nest thermostat, check local traffic conditions before I headed out, and even just got verbal confirmation of what was on my Google calendar for the day (keep in mind you have to have given Google Assistant permissions/settings in order to get this added functionality. Keep in mind, this also means that some Amazon/Alexa specific devices (to include commands) and applications might not possibly be compatible/controllable on/through the Smart Clock 2, but I don't count that as deal breaker as that normally doesn't tend to be the case for most devices these days. I personally may not consider this a disadvantage, but your usage patterns may vary from mine. I generally didn’t use the Smart Clock 2 to stream music (nor do I on my other smart devices) – but the 3W front firing speaks sounded just fine from what I heard. So long as you keep your expectation of what a 1.5” speakers can do, I would say it is on par with everything else out there. The last thing I want to share are my thoughts on the display and UI of the Smart Clock 2 itself. This area is where I think the Smart Clock 2 may be lacking when compared to other devices out there. When I personally compared the Smart Clock 2 to my other “smart” display devices in my house, I found the Smart Clock 2 a little shorthanded when it comes to physical screen size and added lack of additional “tech” features. Don’t get me wrong the 4-inch IPS screen is sharp and responsive, but it is smaller than I would have liked/used to. I have 5,8,10 inch devices that are notably larger, and therefore easier to see at distance - when placed side by side. Unfortunately, the Smart Clock 2's user selectable clock faces don’t help much to "enlarge" the numbers in that regard either. Unlike some of my other devices, you can’t watch any streaming video, nor is there embedded camera functionality of any type. Again, I don’t need those things in my at my personal desktop area, but I know for some folks not having those types of features could be a deal breaker, especially if other similar devices have them – yet the Smart Clock 2 does not. I loved the Smart Clock 2 for just being a super easy to use Clock, that helped me stay organized and charge my phone - plain and simple. ========================== >>>>> Closing thoughts: <<<<< ========================== Thanks to the Lenovo Smart Clock 2’s Google Assistant integration and extra useful design features (night light and wireless charging base) – I think it offers something that the other smart displays and clocks out there don’t. Unfortunately, that also go against the Smart Clock 2 as well, when directly comparing against similar units. I really appreciated the simple, yet functional User Interface (UI) and streamlined 2-piece design. My main grip, honestly is with the screen size – make it BIGGER - especially if it is being focused as a more “dedicated” clock type unit (as compared to other smart “display” that don’t necessarily call themselves “clocks”). I really think the screen size should be at least an inch or two bigger and offer more choices/customization on the clock faces or Lenovo should offer more variety of sizes in the product line. Regardless, the Smart Clock 2 is excellent "dumb" alarm clock, a great "smart: alarm clock, but perhaps not the best smart alarm clock if your committed to the Alexa/Amazon ecosystem - or want a GIANT screen. I really don't think you'll disappointed regardless though.

## Design The Lenovo Smart Alarm Clock 2 features a fabric exterior with a 4-inch display on front. This particular model includes a wireless charging base that you can set the clock on top of to provide power to the wireless Qi charging pad on the base. This way, you can wirelessly charge your smartphone beside the Smart Alarm Clock. There is no camera on the device, providing a bit of piece of mind when placing it in the bedroom. There is a mute switch for the microphone located on the back of the unit. The Qi charging base also has a simple LED night light that glows around the base of the alarm clock. This can be enabled by saying, “hey Google, turn on the night light.” ## Setup The setup process is done through the Google Home app, so thankfully there is not yet another app to install specifically for this clock. In the Google Home app, you simply hit the + symbol to add a device, and your phone should automatically detect the Lenovo Smart Alarm Clock and walk you through the steps of joining it to your WiFi and customizing your music services. Oddly, although I’m a YouTube TV subscriber, it did not show up as one of the Live TV choices and the clock doesn’t allow me to play anything on its built-in screen. Sure, I wouldn’t sit down to watch a 2 hour movie on the tiny screen, but it would be nice to have the news on while getting ready in the morning. At the end of the setup process, the Smart Alarm Clock installed a firmware update and was then ready to use. ## Performance While the screen is small, I’m able to clearly see the time from across the room. There are different clock faces available that you can swipe through on the device. I like the weather clock face as it shows a subtle image in the background of the current conditions along with the temperature. I also like the option to use a Google Photos album that cycles throughout the day. Oddly, the display settings cannot be accessed in the Google Home app and must be done through the small touch screen interface. Hopefully, this is corrected in the future. The Smart Alarm Clock 2 also seems to do a good job of picking up my voice from across the room and it responds to queries very quickly, similar to a regular Google Nest Hub. The Smart Alarm Clock 2 doesn’t seem to support streaming video as it does not even show as an option to Chromecast video content from my phone. It works fine with my Pandora and my free Spotify account, but my requests to play content from Apple Music come back with a, “sorry, I can’t do that right now,” which is odd because Apple Music works fine on my Google Nest Hub. Hopefully Lenovo can address this in a future update as well. Sound quality is surprisingly good on this little device! Music comes through clear and doesn’t sound “tinny” as you would expect on a small speaker. At night, the unit can be set to show a simple black and white clock face. The screen gets very dim making it ideal for a dark bedroom. ## Summary Overall, the Lenovo Smart Alarm Clock 2 is a nice nightstand companion. The add-on base adds a subtle night light and Qi charging pad for your phone. It seems like there are a few kinks to work out with Apple Music, but Pandora, iHeart Radio and Spotify seem to work fine. However, if being able to stream video is important to you, you may want to consider a regular Google Nest Hub with a larger screen at a similar price point (minus the Qi charging pad and night light).

A coworker of mine bought me the original Lenovo Smart Clock as a Christmas present a few years ago. I didn’t think I’d make much use of it, but it’s been my alarm clock ever since. I’ve also had a wireless charger for my phone plugged in right next to it. Needless to say I was pretty excited to see the new version of the Clock announced with a wireless charging dock and so far I’m very happy with it. The 4” screen has limited utility compared to a full size Nest Hub or something similar, but it’s just fine for setting alarms and checking the weather, which is what I’m primarily using it for. The speakers are okay and the sound comes through loud and clear, but for music I don’t think it’s a good stand-in for a dedicated smart speaker; my Nest Mini sounds much better for music. It sounds great for alarms and voice responses though, which is all I need from it. Google Assistant works well on the Clock 2 and for things like controlling the lights you get helpful onscreen controls as well. The Clock 2 on its own is a bit taller than the original model, but with the charging dock it gets significantly wider. Obviously you’re getting the benefit here of being able to also charge your phone wireless and charge another device via the USB-A port on the back of the dock. With my Pixel 4 I was able to center it on the pad and get it charging without too much fiddling and I’ve got my watch charger on the USB-A port, so everything on my nightstand is now powered and charged through a single power adapter. The dock also has a built-in night light, which wasn’t something I was looking for, but still nice to have. The system Lenovo came up with makes it really easy to add or remove the dock via the magnetic pogo pins, but I do feel like there was a small missed opportunity in designing the dock in a way where the charging pad could be on either side of the clock; with this design it can only ever be on the right hand side. I also wish the plug on the power adapter was angled 90 degrees so it would take up less room on my power strip. Overall I consider most of my criticisms of the Clock 2 to be minor and mostly unrelated to its intended use. It does the job of being a smart clock extremely well and I really appreciate the thoughtful design choices Lenovo made for this new version. If you’re already using Google Assistant devices in your home this is a great addition.

I have had the same clock radio/alarm next to my bed for years and I was really looking forward to the Lenovo - Smart Clock 2 bringing my nightstand into the 21st Century. But as it stands right now, I think I'm going back to my old clock radio. Let's start off with the positives, of which there are many. 1. Looks Nice: The gray cloth covering looks great, and the charging/nightlight stand integrates so well into a sharp looking device. 2. Compact: Doesn't take up too much space on my nightstand. I still have plenty of room for the stack of books and magazines that normally inhabit my nightstand. 3. Beautiful Touchscreen: Despite it being a smallish touchscreen, it is highly responsive and looks great in all light environments. It can adjust itself to ambient lighting conditions and I have found that it does a very good job of being at the 'correct' light level, though I did turn on the ability to go really dark at night, and that was perfect. 4. Great Sound: For being so small, the Smart Clock 2 can get pretty loud, more than enough to listen to music while getting ready in the bathroom or puttering around. It sounds nice too, not like it is coming from such a small speaker. 5. Google Integration: Using the Google Home App you can set up a TON of features and media sources. You can get weather, sports stats, drive times, or make a call all with a 'Hey Google'. If you are deeply ingrained in the Google environment, there is probably nothing you can't do with this. 6. Easy Charging: The Charge Dock seems to have a nice large 'sweet spot' and it is easy to just drop my iPhone on it and have it start charging right away. That being said, it only charges my iPhone 12Pro at 7.5W. Now the not-so-greats: 1. Non-Google Integration is Non-Existent: If the app/service is not blessed by Google, it ain't here. I actually prefer to stream my music from my iPhone library since I have spend decades building a music collection that I love. I have yet to be able to figure out how to get it to stream music from the Music App on my iPhone. 2. Device Settings on the Clock: There is a dearth of settings that you can actually do on the clock without talking to it. If you don't want to talk (say someone is asleep beside you), and you want to change some setting, it ain't so easy. Also, there aren't a lot of options accessible from the device itself. 3. The Clock Face: Right now there are surprisingly few clock faces to choose from. This would seem like an easy thing to have available, but there are maybe six different faces and what few are there don't take advantage of the screen very well. I liked the weather face the best since it conveyed the most amount of information but even it is lacking. I have the temp, time, and conditions (cloudy/sunny/fog), and that is it. Can I not get a month/day on there? Now Lenovo may be able to add faces and features via an update in the future but out of the box, it is pretty bland. 4. The Wireless Charging Dock Plastic: This may seem like a nit-picky thing but I HATE Lenovo's choice of plastic on this. It is a speckled gray that instead of looking nice, just looks like it is dusty and I keep trying to wipe it off. Just go solid on this. 5. Google Integration: Other than email, I don't do anything with Google. I don't want to do anything with Google either, so my options for integration are few and far between. I put in some miscellaneous data into the Home App just to try things out, but frankly I don't want Google knowing that much about me and I sure as heck don't want it listening to me in my bedroom. If you turn off the mic on this, you lose most of the functionality of the Smart Clock 2. I was probably wrong to get this, but I always assume that there is an old-school mode for devices but it would seem that time is going away in favor of linking everything. Not a fan of this trend. Final Thoughts: As a device, Lenovo build a nice, compact, and highly functional piece of electronics (even if their choice of plastics stinks). There is absolutely ZERO wrong with the form and function of the Smart Clock 2. Software-wise, I'm not sure what is Lenovo and what is Google. Either way, I think the core functionality is a tad too limited. If you are deeply rooted in the Google universe and have an Android phone, you will get the most out of this Smart Clock. If you have an iPhone and are in the Apple ecosphere, you will not. If you value privacy, this is just a fancy charging base, if you are willy-nilly with your information, this thing can do a ton for you. For me, it's a let down but I would not seem to be the intended market. Oh well.

The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 fell short of my expectations for a few key reasons, but let’s first look at some positives. 1. The charging dock worked great. I was able to charge my iPhone and AirPods without any issue, and even the battery case I use with my phone. For this reason, at least for now this clock will have a place on my nightstand. 2. The clock itself has some neat display options, including Google Photos and some fun presets. I’ve included photos of my favorite setting which using words instead of numbers and is a fun, unique display I’ve not seen before. 3. The dock has a nightlight that lights up when a device starts charging. This was a brilliant design choice as there’s no guessing if your wireless charge started successfully. 4. The sound quality is fine for a clock. It’s not amazing if you compare it with a dedicated speaker, but it’s good enough as part of a combo unit. Sound quality gets a neutral rating. If we stopped here, and only bought the clock for the clock display options, and dock feature, I’d happily recommend the product. Unfortunately, the smart clock is also designed to be smart, and that’s where it falls short. To be fair, I don’t know if the failure is with the clock or with Google Home integration, but here are some of the reasons I’m not thrilled: 1. Apple Music setup was easily linked in the Google Home app, but fails to play any music when trying to play on the smart clock. It will say, “Now playing XYZ song on Apple Music”, followed by a “something went wrong, try again” message. I factory reset the device twice, re-linking Apple Music each time, and it failed continuously. Since that’s my primary source of music, and a subscription I pay for, it’s immediately a deal breaker. If you don’t have any intention of using Apple Music or want to roll the dice to see if your luck is better than mine, you can disregard this. For what it’s worth, Spotify and YouTube music did successfully play, but YouTube Music didn’t seem to play songs matching the title of what it said was playing. 2. One of the screens on the clock is “directions to home”, and I’m not sure why it’s a default screen since I’m already home. I suppose if I had one at an office it might be useful, but it seemed like an odd thing to enable by default. 3. Interacting with the display feels a bit clunky. There are swipe up/down, left/right to access different features (like brightness, other clock faces, alarm settings), but for a “smart” clock, it feels incomplete. I want the option to rearrange the screens at least so I could have alarms when swiping left and perhaps weather when swiping right. Having to swipe 2-3 times to get to a screen means I’ll just pickup my phone and look at that display instead. Overall, if your primarily looking a great wireless charging dock with a built in nightlight and alarm clock attached, this is a good buy. Otherwise, I’d probably suggest a true smart display with a separate dock.

The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 with wireless charging dock has to be one of the most customizable alarm clocks available. It helps organize your nightstand and lets you organize your life using the built in Google assistant. With a single outlet you can power the clock and wirelessly charge your phone while using the USB port to charge a watch or ear buds at the same time. The built in Google assistant allows you to control the clock and all your other Google home devices by voice command. The four inch color touch display is the perfect size for a clock and you set the brightness level to automatic or anywhere from bright to off. Using the Google Home app you can set up Night Mode that allows you to set the clock brightness and do not disturb feature based upon time and days of the week. You access the set up menu and alarm menu by swiping across or up and down on the screen. There are twelve clock faces to choose from and several also display the current weather conditions. You get to choose from seven wake up alarm tones including an impromptu piano session picked daily by Google. One of the nicer features is the Goodnight feature which plays “Country sounds” to help you fall asleep. Setting an alarm via the touch screen is intuitive and simple but it’s even easier to use the Google assistant. You can also have your daily Good Morning Routine automatically played when you turn off the alarm. You can play music on the Clock using the Google Assistant and Chromecast or your mobile device using a Blue Tooth connection. The screen is for displaying the clock and can be used to stream security video from compatible cameras but it cannot be used to stream movies or videos. To set up the clock you have to use the Google Home app on your mobile device or tablet. The power cord plugs into the clock and the clock when placed upon the charging dock will supply power to the wireless charger. There is also a USB port that can be used for charging devices. On the back of the clock there is a mute button and on the top of the clock there are volume up and down buttons. At the base of the clock there is a light ring that is used as a status indicator as well as a night light. The ring lights up when a phone or ear buds are placed on the wireless charger base. This is nice because you get a visual indicator that your phone is properly aligned on the charger. The only negative is that twelve clock faces and seven wake up tones are nice but most devices like phones and smart watches have way more options. Hopefully Lenovo will add additional faces and tones in upcoming software updates. As nice as Country sounds are I wish they would have included a few more options like falling rain or ocean waves

For years i have had a Google Mini speaker on my night table. I use it for so many different tasks on a daily basis. I thought that was all I needed until I received the Lenovo Smart Clock 2. The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 has a 4"color touch screen with Google assistant and Chromecast. To set up the device, you go the Google Home app and just add the device to your home. The clock will automatically install a firmware update which can take a few minutes. Once installed you can now control all of the Google connected device in your home with the smart clock. To customize the clock face simply swipe right on the screen. Swipe down to set alarms, routines, play music or turn on the night light. Swiping up will adjust brightness, volume, turn on/off Do Not Disturb, and access settings. However, it is important to remember that all of these functions can be controlled by voice. In addition, there are physical volume buttons at the top of the unit. My unit came in Heather Grey which is very attractive and matches all of my other Google devices. The clock plugs into an electric outlet and can be used by itself or attached to an included base which has a built in wireless charger and a usb-A port. I use the wireless charger for my phone and ear buds and the usb-A to charge my watch. I found the wireless charger worked fast and without any noticeable heat. A nice feature of the wireless charger is that the nightlight will light up when the proper connection is made. so you won't incorrectly place your phone on the charger at night and wake up the next day with a dead phone. The speaker is loud and clear for both voice and music, certainly on par with the Google Mini. You can see your photos on the smart clock however, you cannot play video. You can assign a specific tv, in your house to play video when requested through the smart clock. So if I want to watch You Tube it will play on my master tv. I also have an Arlo video doorbell. When I want to see that camera or any other connected camera it will display on my master tv. The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 does not have a camera. So you cannot make Duo video calls, however, you can make voice calls. In summary, I love this smart clock. It's like taking the Google Mini to the next level. It is high quality, very useful and extremely attractive. Now my only problem is that everyone else in the house wants one.

----- Summary ----- Verdict: Both functional and attractive, the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 is a welcome addition to my nightstand. Because it’s an alarm clock, smart display, speaker, and charger all in one little device, it declutters and makes my nightstand more useful. If you’re interested in a Google Assistant-enabled smart clock, this one should be at the top of your list. Pros: - Attractive design - Google Assistant - Wireless charging dock - 4” color touchscreen - Loud, crisp audio - Nightlight Cons: - No video streaming ----- Details ----- Design: What I love about the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 is that it provides a neat, centralized location for my tech. In addition to the wireless charging dock, there’s a USB-A port on the back that can be used for another device. I use that to charge my smartwatch. Other aspects of the design include volume up/down buttons on the top of the alarm clock, a microphone mute switch on the back for privacy, and a built-in nightlight. The nightlight is a ring around the charging dock under the display, and it’ll illuminate on voice command or when manually turned on from the touchscreen. I like that it’s a subtle light that illuminates my side of the bed but doesn’t disturb my wife. The fabric exterior of the alarm clock is a nice touch as well. Setup: Just a few minutes after unboxing, I had the Smart Clock 2 setup. I’m familiar with setting up Google Assistant devices in the Google Home app, but even if you’re not, the guided setup is quick and simple. I always appreciate an easy setup process. Alarm: The Smart Clock 2 wouldn’t be complete without functional alarm features. Thankfully it doesn’t disappoint. Multiple alarms can be set on a repeatable schedule and there’s a variety of customizations available like snooze length, alarm tone, setting it to slowly brighten the screen 30 minutes before wakeup time, and a Good Morning routine that can trigger when you shut off the alarm. Morning or night routines can be customized to brief you on weather or news, play music, control smart lights, and more. It’s all I could ask for in an alarm clock and more. Touchscreen: Other than being an effective alarm and displaying the time, the 4” color touchscreen on the Smart Clock 2 has different pages you can swipe between to see additional information like weather, your commute time, or quickly access Spotify playlists. My only wish is that video streaming was supported on the screen. I’m not going to watch a full movie on such a small screen, but being able to watch short YouTube videos would be nice. Audio: For its size, the audio produced by the Smart Clock 2 is good. I was pleasantly surprised by how loud it can get, as well as how crisp and clear voice responses and music are. If your main intent is to just listen to music, there are better alternatives for that, but with everything else packed into this little device, the audio was good enough for me.