Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa review: There are better options

I spent a week with the smart clock and still don't know why it's there. The $699.99 Essential is a digital alarm clock that you can control with your voice. There are plenty of excellent smart alarm clocks out there, even some made byLenovo. This isn't one of the ones.

If you want a voice assistant by your bed, don't want a display with a camera in it, and want a larger clock, then the Essential is for you. There are better options if you are willing to compromise.

The clock feels like a half-hearted attempt at cashing in on the popularity of the voice activated assistant. It is the first smart clock from the company that uses Amazon's voice assistant. If you want to buy a smart speaker from Amazon, you won't find one powered by the search engine. It misses a lot of things.

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A smart digital alarm clock with Amazon's voice assistant built-in is available from theLenovo. It's powered by a wall plug and works over both wi-fi and bluetooth. It has a four-inch LED display that auto-dims reliably and comes encased in an upright fabric-wrapped body that is almost four feet tall. It has a decent speaker and microphone on board.

The Essential has the same design as the Smart Clock 2 but only comes with the Assistant. The Essential doesn't have a full-color screen like the one on the other device. You can see the time and outdoor temp on the display. A decibel meter is also available. I don't think I need a decibel reader in my bedroom, but I'm open to suggestions.

When you use the voice assistant on the Essential, the screen displays two blinking zeros that look like eyes, because of the red and blue colors. This could be an option for a child's room if you don't want a tiny screen that can play videos, or if you want a smart alarm clock option. The price of the newer full smart display version is the same as the first Essential, but it is more expensive.

The smart clock has a front-firing speaker that is about as good as an echo dot, and it has a 1.5 inch speaker. It has a wide range of volume so you can wake up easily. You can use the speaker as a speaker if the snooze button works.

The pogo pins underneath the clock look like they work with the SmartClock dock. I have already reviewed that product. For just $20 more, you can get a 10- watt MagSafe compatible wireless charger and a night light. The dock is bundled with the Smart Clock 2 and can't be purchased seperately or with the Essential. I would be more likely to recommend this clock if they fixed the oversight.

The built-in voice assistant is the real selling point. The voice assistant in the clock wasn't as responsive to voice commands as the newer ones. While you can use the voice assistant to set timers and alarms, listen to music, and control smart home devices, it doesn't have a lot of basic features. It doesn't work as an intercom or with voice over internet protocol. It doesn't work in a multiroom music setup when you set it as the default speaker.

The Essential can be used with theAlexa Routines. I tested one that dismissed an alarm. It started a radio station, turned on smart lights in my room, and read my calendar. The only way this works is if an alarm sounds and you dismiss it.

If you want to wake up with a specific song or station, you need to speak. A wide variety of standard alarm tones will be included in the choice of alarm sounds. You can use a skill to wake you up.

If you want to have the sound of running water or snoring set off in a routine, you have to use a newer echo device. I use an echo dot and a clock in my bathroom to hear the sound of water. It starts a routine when I turn on the shower that reads the weather and my calendar and plays the radio.

The Essential doesn't have a touch screen. I can't understand why they chose to forgo this convenience, considering the almost identical design and price of theLenovo Smart Clock 2. The four-inch face of the Essential is less distractive than a smart display without a touch screen, but it relies on voice or the app for alarm programming. The voice app is not easy to use in the bedroom. There are three different settings screens for the essential clock in the app.

I had a lot of trouble getting the assistant to pay attention because The Essential doesn't hear as well. The only controls on the device are for volume and muting the microphone, as well as a button to snooze or show the alarm.

The Essential is a simple alarm clock with a smart assistant built in. Chances are you will also expect your alarm clock to have a battery backup. I have written before about how frustrating it is that smart alarm clocks don't offer this. This isn't enough for you.

If you don't mind which voice assistant is in your bedroom and just want a good camera-free digital display to glance at, the second generation Nest Hub is a better bedside companion. It is a great digital photo frame.

If you don't want your table to be too large, the Smart Clock 2 is a better option. It is the same size as the Essential but with a full-color touch screen that can double as a digital photo frame and a live feed of your security camera. The price is the same as the essential.

There aren't any compelling reasons to use the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential withAlexa over Amazon's other devices. There are two great bedside companions, the Echo Show 5 with its full-color touchscreen and the echo dot with clock. I have seen Show 5s at a low price. $50 is the current price of the Essential with Amazon's voice assistant. If you can find it for $30, you can use it as a smart clock for your child.

Every smart device has a set of terms and conditions that you have to agree to before you can use it. It is not possible for us to read and analyze all of them. Since these are agreements most people don't read and can't negotiate, we're going to start counting how many times you have to agree to use the device.

If you want to use the smart clock with the voice assistant, you have to download the app. It is necessary for an account to be signed in. Signing up for one of those requires you to agree to its Conditions of Use.

You agree to a number of terms when you add the clock to theAlexa app. By proceeding you agree to Amazon's conditions of use and all of the terms found here.

Below is a list of the terms that you must agree to in order to use it.

• Alexa Terms of Use
• Amazon Conditions of Use
• Amazon Privacy Notice
• Children’s Privacy Disclosure
• Interest-based Ads
• Amazon Prime Terms
• Amazon Music Terms of Use
• Kindle Store Terms of Use
• Audible Service Conditions of Use
• Amazon Dash Replenishment Terms of Use
• Amazon Kids Plus Terms & Conditions
• Amazon Photos Terms of Use
• Amp Terms of Use
• Amazon Device Terms of Use

There are 14 compulsory agreements.

The photos were taken by Tuohy.