Lenovo reveals the best Amazon Echo Dot with Clock alternative I've seen yet

Lenovo reveals the all-time Amazon Echo Dot with Clock culling I've seen yet

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa, plugged into a Lenovo Ambient Light Dock

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa, plugged into one of Lenovo'south Ambient Light Docks (Image credit: Hereafter)

Lenovo's known for some of the best smart speakers that don't come up directly from Amazon and Google. But upwardly until now, Lenovo's speaker-smart clocks only supported the latter'southward voice assistant, Google Assistant. This is changing with the new $59 Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa, announced during CES 2022.

In its first endeavor at one of the best Alexa smart speakers, Lenovo is taking a unproblematic arroyo with the adjacent evolution of the $49 Lenovo Smart Clock Essential. Though the shape and general design looks more than like the $89 Lenovo Smart Clock 2, the updated Smart Clock Essential isn't a smart display. Instead, it shows the time similar a apprehensive bedside alarm clock — no touch controls in sight.

While a touchscreen comes in handy for customizing your clock face up or interacting with your other smart home devices, a fingerprint-free timepiece is just equally tempting. And the 2022 Smart Clock Essential still manages to await more modern than the older ane. Non only is it compatible with the optional stand that functions as built-in nightlight and wireless smartphone charging pad; information technology can dock in two new tactile, low-cal-upwardly stands shaped like sea creatures called Lenovo Ambient Calorie-free Docks.

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa plugged into an Lenovo Ambient Light Dock — The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa plugged into an Ambient Light Dock. (Prototype credit: Future)

Besides available in a rust-colored Clay Ruddy finish, the Smart Clock Essential with Alexa definitely plays up the kid-friendly role. The stands are adorably squishy and display fun calorie-free shows, reminding me of the Amazon Repeat Glow. Just the Echo Glow still requires a nearby Alexa speaker to control with your voice, while the Smart Clock Essential with Alexa offers a speaker and beautiful bedside lite combined.

I fifty-fifty saw the clock face transform into a pair of eyes when I summoned Alexa, which can be done with a wake discussion or by pressing the launch push button on the top of the Smart Clock Essential. Information technology's unclear whether the face is a specific input assigned by the squid-shaped base the unit was attached to, though.

Of grade, you could skip the accessories and use the Smart Clock Essential as you would the Amazon Repeat Dot with Clock, calling on Alexa when it'south convenient but otherwise keeping the device somewhere you lot'd want to run across the fourth dimension at a glance. Considering the Dot with Clock is my top choice among the best smart dwelling house devices, I observe the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential an piece of cake sell.

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa in Clay Red finish — (Image credit: Future)

As an Alexa user, I'grand not keen on using Lenovo'southward by smart clocks with Google Assistant on a regular basis. But I could see myself placing a Smart Clock Essential with Alexa on my bedside, ready to take commands for controlling the all-time Alexa uniform devices in my home, or just launching my sleep sounds. And different my Echo Dot with Clock, the Smart Clock Essential has a USB port, then I can utilize it to charge my smartphone or smartwatch.

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa price and release engagement

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa even comes at the same price as the Echo Dot with Clock: $59. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Ambience Light Docks toll $29 each. The Smart Clock is available starting this month, with the docks coming before the end of Q1 2022.

This is but one of the many new product reveals nosotros've seen tied to the large show, check out our CES 2022 live web log for the latest news.

Kate Kozuch is a senior writer at Tom's Guide covering wearables, TVs and everything smart-home related. When she's non in cyborg mode, you can find her on an exercise wheel or channeling her inner celebrity chef. She and her robot regular army will dominion the globe one day, but until and then, reach her at kate.kozuch@futurenet.com.