Lenovo Smart Clock Essential review: Basic doesn't mean bad

One of our favorite gadgets from 2019 was the Google-powered Lenovo Smart Clock. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a typical Google smart display, but its alarm clock features, affordable price point and small form factor more than make up for it. Recently, however, the company debuted an even simpler version of the device, appropriately called the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential. With the Essential, the pretense of a smart display is gone altogether; the LCD screen has been replaced with a basic LED display. As a result, I don't quite like it as much as the original Lenovo Smart Clock, but it's also $30 cheaper (the Essential retails for $50 while the original Smart Clock is $80) and if all you really want is an alarm clock with some Google Assistant smarts, then the Essential certainly fits the bill. At its core, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is simply a Google-powered smart speaker with a built-in alarm clock.