There are two mics onboard to hear you scream at Google Assistant from across the room, and the 1.5-inch 3 watt speaker should be enough for your alarms, podcasts or news updates (though do not expect wonderful audio quality). The Essential looks primarily the same as its more-expensive stablemate, but its somewhat bigger at 121 x 64 x 83mm compared to the Smart Clocks 113 x 80 x 79mm.
The overall concept here is extremely comparable to Amazons Echo Dot with LED, except theres a genuine screen on Lenovos device. That means you get touch controls on the Essential, and can even stream from your security cams on it. While the Echo Dot with LED is available in at $60, the Smart Clock Essential will cost $50 when it goes on sale this vacation season.
Lenovos new $50 smart clock keeps things stupid simple
