The best alarm clock in 2019

The Lenovo Smart Clock is more of a bedside assistant than an alarm clock. Yes, it will show you the time on the 4-inch touch-capable display, and you can set multiple alarms. But because it's connected to the internet, you can use this gadget to check weather and traffic before you start the commute; catch up on info like news, sports, and stocks; play music from Spotify, podcasts, or NPR; check your Google Calendar; and, with support for Google Home and Google Assistant, you can control the smart home devices in your home, from Philips Hue lights to Nest Thermostat — all of these by using your voice.

The clock is compact and doesn't take up much room on a bedside table. Its fabric exterior also gives it a soft touch, which is something you wouldn't find with most alarm clocks (or tech product, for that matter).

As an alarm clock, the device doesn't simply blare at you with a buzzer (although that's available too). The screen slowly brightens — like a light therapy clock — and you can customize the sound for each alarm, or wake up to music or news. Even smarter (hence its name), you can automate a specific wake-up routine that turns on lights, set the temperature, and whatever else is connected to your smart home setup. At night, the screen goes dark to help you sleep, while the USB port lets you connect a phone for charging.

Setting it up is easy, although you will need a smartphone with the Google Home app (Android or iOS) to do this (the touchscreen is limited in what you can do). It's relatively painless — just launch the app, and the Smart Clock is automatically recognized and guides you through the set-up process. This is technically a smart speaker, but if you're paranoid about it always listening (like I am) there is a mute toggle on the back; thankfully, there's no camera, which seems to be showing up in every smart home product these days.

There are a few things that the Smart Clock can't do. It can't play videos, so don't think about watching YouTube on this thing to help lull you to sleep; nor can it make calls, like you can with the similar Echo Spot from Amazon, a smart clock based around the Alexa platform. Even though the Smart Clock has Bluetooth, you can't use it to play music from your phone, but you can use Google Chromecast to stream audio to another connected speaker or TV. If you desire the abilities to watch YouTube videos or display content from Google Photos and other "smarter" functions, you may want to look at larger smart displays, like the Google Nest Hub.

As an alarm clock, we like the design, lower price, and tight integration into Google's services of the Smart Clock over Amazon's Echo Spot. If the price was even lower, we wouldn't hesitate to call this our best overall — because, for the first time, you can actually do more with an alarm clock than just wake you up.

Reviews are generally positive, and the criticism — the inability to play videos or and photos, make calls — is in line with ours. Both Wired and The Verge are a little harsher, citing the poor audio quality from the speaker. Insider Picks Senior Editor Malarie Gokey has been testing one by her bed, and she appreciates the size and the variety of alarm sounds. If this product had been priced above $100, we would have passed on it, but considering what it can do and for the price, we still think it's a good buy despite the drawbacks. This is a first-gen product, so expect to see newer and improved versions. — Les Shu

Pros: A variety of wake-up options, display mimics a light therapy clock, supports most Google services and Google Assistant, play from Spotify, Pandora, podcasts, and other online services, control your smart home devices, compact size, elegant design, easy to set up, affordable, USB port for charging

Cons: Can't make calls, play videos or photos, can't stream music from phone, audio quality could be better, Google Home platform required, phone is needed for set-up

Source: Business Insider

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