Lenovo Smart Clock / Smart Clock Essential

PreCocious · 23-11-2020 5:11pm #1

Good price drop on these:

Smart Clock (€34.99) https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/smart-clock/

Smart Clock Essential (€24.99) https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/smart-devices/smart-home/smart-home-series/Smart-Clock-Essential/p/ZZISZSDCD05

Curb Your Enthusiasm · 23-11-2020 6:26pm

I'd imagine it's worth the extra tenner to get the regular one over the essential one. Just bought, thanks OP. Looks good and reviews are decent too. Came to €38.62 with the shipping charge.

Caranica · 23-11-2020 7:45pm

Thanks for that, was looking for a google based clock for my parents as they already have a google home. They complain that their ancient clock radio switches the radio off after 59 minutes so the essential should be perfect. Love the nightlight feature too, not on the dearer one. They don't need a touchscreen clock so there was no point in me paying the extra.

unklerosco · 23-11-2020 8:17pm

Cheers... This will be handy as a little display for the nest hello I picked up

Briain O Loinsigh · 23-11-2020 8:31pm

Just noticed they're 39.99 euro in curry's aswell , but I already ordered from Lenovo myself .

Handy to get in curry's if your not sure.
https://www.currys.ie/ieen/smart-tech/smart-tech/smart-home/smart-home-starter-kits/lenovo-smart-clock-with-google-assistant-10194217-pdt.html

Ush1 · 23-11-2020 8:53pm

Really don't need this but ordered anyway!

opus · 24-11-2020 12:03pm

Sigh I don't need one either but here I am

PreCocious · 24-11-2020 12:21pm

Ush1 wrote: »

Really don't need this but ordered anyway!

I'm the same - I posted it so that I wouldn't be the only one...

Electric Nitwit · 24-11-2020 12:26pm

PreCocious wrote: »

Good price drop on these:

Smart Clock (€34.99) https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/smart-clock/

Smart Clock Essential (€24.99) https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/smart-devices/smart-home/smart-home-series/Smart-Clock-Essential/p/ZZISZSDCD05

Thanks for that, mum's Christmas present sorted

Tandey · 24-11-2020 12:31pm

Any difference between this and the echo show 5 at all?

TheSheriff · 24-11-2020 1:21pm

Why did I see this. Dammit, have to buy.

shovel · 24-11-2020 2:28pm

I have this since last year in the bedroom.i find it great.use the alarm clock (set by my voice).ask for radio on the mornings that I'm off work.some spotify when taking a shower in the ensuite.good sound.it has a plus and minus button on top to adjust the volume.(I find voice control for volume poor enough across google and amazon devices).
It also looks very well,not as in your face like an echo show.
Bought for my missus,she loves it too

Caranica · 24-11-2020 2:31pm

Tandey wrote: »

Any difference between this and the echo show 5 at all?

I'm hoping this screen won't flicker as much as the echo show does. The echo show has a camera, this doesn't. I love the nightlight on the lenovo essential one.

Basically getting this for my parents as a replacement for an old click radio.

Curb Your Enthusiasm · 24-11-2020 2:33pm

shovel wrote: »

I have this since last year in the bedroom.i find it great.use the alarm clock (set by my voice).ask for radio on the mornings that I'm off work.some spotify when taking a shower in the ensuite.good sound.it has a plus and minus button on top to adjust the volume.(I find voice control for volume poor enough across google and amazon devices).
It also looks very well,not as in your face like an echo show.
Bought for my missus,she loves it too

Does the grey colour look nice? Or would all black be better?

dinneenp · 24-11-2020 2:42pm

Article comparing the two- link

24-11-2020 2:50pm

Is there some logic that I'm missing as to why the cheaper one has four times the RAM?

shovel · 24-11-2020 3:14pm

No flicker on the screen. I bought the grey. I have black speakers on a surround system and they really show any speck of dust.

I replaced a clock radio with this and found it ideal.
we have echo dots and one echo show in other rooms in the house and this is the best for a bedroom.

dinneenp · 24-11-2020 3:23pm

Hi,

If you ask it to play the radio, does it begin with a 10 (or thereabouts) ad first? Find it so annoying, especially if you're just turning radio on for a minute or so.
This happens with my Echo Dot, would love if you could disable this, would even pay to for it.

Cheers,
Pa.

PreCocious · 24-11-2020 3:29pm

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,

If you ask it to play the radio, does it begin with a 10 (or thereabouts) ad first? Find it so annoying, especially if you're just turning radio on for a minute or so.
This happens with my Echo Dot, would love if you could disable this, would even pay to for it.

Cheers,
Pa.

I have a few Google Assistant devices and the only station (of the ones that I regularly listen to) that plays an ad before playing is Today FM (via TuneIn).

Re colour: the grey ones won't show the dust

gipi · 24-11-2020 4:32pm

I didn't need one, but there's one on the way! Thanks, OP, great looking bargain!

Genghis · 24-11-2020 4:57pm

Is the USB charging dock designed to allow you charge a phone overnight? Would you know if it works well with USB-C?

un5byh7sqpd2x0 · 24-11-2020 5:07pm

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,

If you ask it to play the radio, does it begin with a 10 (or thereabouts) ad first? Find it so annoying, especially if you're just turning radio on for a minute or so.
This happens with my Echo Dot, would love if you could disable this, would even pay to for it.

Cheers,
Pa.

You can sign up for an ad-free TuneIn experience here

JDxtra · 24-11-2020 5:22pm

Today FM inject their own pre-roll ads into streams, having the ad-free version of TuneIn actually won't help in this instance.

Genghis · 24-11-2020 5:37pm

JDxtra wrote: »

Today FM inject their own pre-roll ads into streams, having the ad-free version of TuneIn actually won't help in this instance.

Yes Newstalk the same. Probably a Communicorp thing, I don't think it happens with RTE or BBC, albeit nearly sure have heard it on some other UK stations too.

Genghis · 24-11-2020 5:41pm

Genghis wrote: »

Is the USB charging dock designed to allow you charge a phone overnight? Would you know if it works well with USB-C?

To answer my own question ... found this link:

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-Smart-Display-Lenovo/Lenovo-Smart-Clock-USB-Charging-Output/m-p/4446352

It is designed for charging phones (but only slowly). Will take a chance on it - thanks OP.

JDxtra · 24-11-2020 5:41pm

Picked up the "Essential" version of this, wanted something that was simple and liked the idea of the clock only version. I've enough smart tech, one more small thing won't harm!

_Kaiser_ · 24-11-2020 5:52pm

I'm wavering here guys! I'm been thinking of getting some Smart devices (bulbs mostly) but was looking at Amazon's Alexa/Dot offerings

I'm already pretty much all in on Google anyway. I guess I could still buy bulbs and this would manage at least some of them?

shnaek · 24-11-2020 6:30pm

Don't need one. Bought one. Cheers OP

absolutegroove · 24-11-2020 6:38pm

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I'm wavering here guys! I'm been thinking of getting some Smart devices (bulbs mostly) but was looking at Amazon's Alexa/Dot offerings

I'm already pretty much all in on Google anyway. I guess I could still buy bulbs and this would manage at least some of them?

I use Kasa bulbs and they are great. You can get some really great deals on them online if you search around.

I use them with my Google Home app and I have had no issues.

dball · 24-11-2020 7:16pm

Thinking of buying one for a person that doesnt have any google home or any google devices. THey dont have a smart phone - Im talking prehistoric here.

Would you need a google device already working on the wifi (they do have internet) or would it be a useless object to have?

Thanks

JDxtra · 24-11-2020 7:40pm

You will need a phone or tablet with the Google Home app installed (and on the wifi) plus a Google account.

k123456 · 24-11-2020 7:43pm

shovel wrote: »

No flicker on the screen. I bought the grey. I have black speakers on a surround system and they really show any speck of dust.

I replaced a clock radio with this and found it ideal.
we have echo dots and one echo show in other rooms in the house and this is the best for a bedroom.

Can you set a Mon to Friday alarm, (ie does not go off at weekends)

feet of flame · 24-11-2020 7:59pm

Would you really want a device thats constantly listening and recording what it hears in your bedroom????

JDxtra · 24-11-2020 8:04pm

feet of flame wrote: »

Would you really want a device thats constantly listening and recording what it hears in your bedroom????

It only sends the audio of the command after the keyword is spoken (Hey Google or OK Google).

Esse85 · 24-11-2020 8:23pm

feet of flame wrote: »

Would you really want a device thats constantly listening and recording what it hears in your bedroom????

Depends how much or little riding your doing

nephster · 24-11-2020 8:29pm

k123456 wrote: »

Can you set a Mon to Friday alarm, (ie does not go off at weekends)

Yes, or separate one(s) for whichever day you like, to reoccur weekly.

drogon. · 24-11-2020 9:19pm

Anyone know if this can be set to turn off the display at 10pm and turn back on at say 6am ?

Would hate to have it on all the time, even if was at a low brightness.

tom_murphy112 · 24-11-2020 9:33pm

drogon. wrote: »

Anyone know if this can be set to turn off the display at 10pm and turn back on at say 6am ?

Would hate to have it on all the time, even if was at a low brightness.

Not possible from what I am reading, the display just dims when the room gets dark as it has a light sensor built-in.

You can however ask Google to turn off the display at night and turn it on in the morning.

JDxtra · 24-11-2020 9:39pm

On the Google hub, it can be configured to turn off the display during low light or 5 minutes after activity. This may have similar options.

tom_murphy112 · 24-11-2020 9:51pm

JDxtra wrote: »

On the Google hub, it can be configured to turn off the display during low light or 5 minutes after activity. This may have similar options.

The only thing I could find online was from a verge article
https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/3/18647606/lenovo-smart-clock-review-specs-price-features

It also does an excellent job of automatically adjusting the brightness 
of the screen for the available light in the room, so it doesn&#8217;t become blinding 
or distractingly bright in the middle of the night when you&#8217;re trying to sleep.

I would hate having something that can't be turned off automatically, hence went with the essential clock

Test For Echo · 24-11-2020 9:54pm

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I'm wavering here guys! I'm been thinking of getting some Smart devices (bulbs mostly) but was looking at Amazon's Alexa/Dot offerings

I'm already pretty much all in on Google anyway. I guess I could still buy bulbs and this would manage at least some of them?

I have a house full of Philips Hue bulbs and Google is much better than Amazon Alexa for setting up and controlling the lights in my experience. I have Google minis & Echo dots around the house and the Echo dots (i.e. the Alexa app) can be a pain when adding lights.

This isn't bad value on Argos to get going with Hue.

I don't need a Lenovo Smart Clock so I best get one...

24-11-2020 9:57pm

From a quick Google it seems you can have the screen turn completely off automatically in low light.

https://old.reddit.com/r/googlehome/comments/gz7ru8/can_you_turn_off_the_screen_of_the_lenovo_smart/

budgemook · 24-11-2020 10:19pm

Seems to be out of stock on Lenovo site so ordered on curry’s for pick up, it will be nice to get out of the house.

Thanks OP, my wife will give it to her brother for Christmas. Solid present.

nephster · 24-11-2020 10:31pm

Deleted User wrote: »

From a quick Google it seems you can have the screen turn completely off automatically in low light.

https://old.reddit.com/r/googlehome/comments/gz7ru8/can_you_turn_off_the_screen_of_the_lenovo_smart/

Having had the Smart Clock for a year... this I did not know; yes, that setting is there. When it's dark I have it set to go to the dimmest setting, and the "mono" clockface (white numbers on black) automatically appears. This is very, very dim and doesn't bother me at night at all, yet the time remains legible.

I kinda don't see the point of a bedside alarm clock that turns off showing the time at night, but that's just me

The price for either of these is very good value. I thought the full-fat Smart Clock was an excellent buy at twice the price.

24-11-2020 10:39pm

Here is the setting for those wondering:

drogon. · 24-11-2020 11:12pm

nephster wrote: »

I kinda don't see the point of a bedside alarm clock that turns off showing the time at night, but that's just me

Bare in mind, this is a IPS panel. So even if you have a dark watch face there is going to be white light bleeding from the backlight.

Caranica · 24-11-2020 11:17pm

JDxtra wrote: »

You will need a phone or tablet with the Google Home app installed (and on the wifi) plus a Google account.

Not necessarily. I have my parents' Google Home set up running off my Google home app, I just have it set up as a second address

garyfleming7 · 24-11-2020 11:35pm

Can you view your Ring Door bell on the screen?

dinneenp · 25-11-2020 9:06am

Hi
How you you get photos to display on it please? Directly from phone or need USB & load into Lenovo?

drogon. · 25-11-2020 9:17am

garyfleming7 wrote: »

Can you view your Ring Door bell on the screen?

Ring is owned by Amazon, so most likely No.

kaahooters · 25-11-2020 9:52am

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi
How you you get photos to display on it please? Directly from phone or need USB & load into Lenovo?

from your google account photos.

Lenovo Smart Clock / Smart Clock Essential

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