A $10 price drop for this smart clock, seems like Officeworks was fast this time so no opportunity for price matching
Lenovo Smart Clock $69 + Delivery/ $0 C&C @ The Good Guys, Bing Lee & Officeworks
900
ln28909 on 01/06/2020 - 09:30 thegoodguys.com.au (3831 clicks)
Last edited 22/06/2020 - 10:15 by 2 other users
Last edited 22/06/2020 - 10:15 by 2 other users
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dimmable does it automatically dim like the nest hub and nest hub max ?
Yep it does automatically when the room goes dark
If you've gone down the light automation route it's also able to turn the room lights off and on. I don't use the Google Assistant functionality but the auto dimming is excellent. I'm sensitive to light sources in the room and this thing is fine,
I can turn the room lights on and off, and when I change room light brightness a brightness level pops up on the clock that I can adjust, but for the life of me I can't find out how to adjust the brightness directly from the clock without interacting with the lights first (e.g. phone or voice control) - don't suppose you can help?
I just looked it up for you: you swipe up from the bottom and can adjust brightness through the quick menu that appears.
https://smartsupport.lenovo.com/au/en/products/smart/smart-h…@Hargain Bunter: That's the screen brightness not the "room light brightness" (see my comment above)
When you swipe down from the top it says "lights on/off" but the brightness level doesn't show up and I can't work out how to find it :(
@Genepi: Ah, sorry I misunderstood. Seems like the only option is to do it with voice control. This vid goes through all the settings, and I couldn’t see it in there:
https://youtu.be/PpidA-n6fLM
Assume this one is mostly like a google home mini, with an added clock face?
Yep, pretty much.
So more like the Nest Hub
I thought functionality was a lot more limiting than a Home/Nest Hub - but then it is in line with what you'd want from an alarm clock.
Most of the functionality that was introduced with Assistant smart displays is not present on the Smart Clock. The Nest Hub can show you visual steps for cooking recipes, play YouTube videos, stream YouTube TV, and bring up video news briefings. None of that works on the Lenovo Smart Clock.
A few smart display features have been ported over to the Smart Clock, but with limitations. Instead of the 'Home View' panel that gives you access to every local smart device, the clock only has a toggle for lights (though you can still ask with voice commands to control other devices). You can't call people on Duo from the clock, but you can still place regular phone calls.
The ambient display on smart displays also isn't on the Smart Clock, so instead of being able to see images from your Google Photos library, you can only pick from a handful of clock faces. Many people love to use the Nest Hub as a digital photo frame, but you can't do that with the Lenovo Smart Clock.Source: https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/06/05/lenovo-smart-clock-…
yeah, a commenter below really disclosed their shortcomings with this device…hard pass for me
Picked this up when JB had it on sale last time. Really happy with it, we actually keep it next to the TV to double as a clock and GA for the Chromecast.
GA?
google assistant
Love it. Goes really dim so it doesn't light up the room and you can still read the time. Tapping the top acts like a snooze button too.
Does this provide ANY functionality other than clock over mini? I am more interested in if I can use it as light switch (to turn on/off lights in the room)
You can, yes. It does have a functional touch screen but you can also control the lights with your voice.
Thanks I know I can do it with voice. My question is if I can turn them on with touch.
Yes, just swipe down on the touch screen.
You can control the lights in the room by swiping down from the top of the display.
Great little bedside clock, too bad it doesn't have a USB-C port for fast charging.
Sorry if it's a silly question. Is it battery operated, or does it require to be plugged to the wall all the time?
Have to plug in all the time.
There is 1 usb port for charging other deviceYep, unfortunately that usb port is only 5V1A though, probably what XekToReX was disappointed by. I know I was when I was looking at picking one up!
Love it, highly recommend. Got it last week from The Good Guys ebay for $63 before they expire the voucher code.
It's a great product. Only issue with it I've found is that because it's not a Google product, Google Home calling is not supported. Otherwise everything else is pretty good.
Can I live view my Ring Video Doorbell from this?
Nope, ring is amazon now
you'll need the little Amazon-Alexa screen thing for Ring, sadly
JBHiFi also have this for $69.
I saw a deal in my local JB for the 7" Lenovo yesterday for $129 but 2 for $200. Seems like a better deal than this?
If you wanted 2 and were willing to pay $100/unit, it is arguably better value yes.
The smart clock is mostly a clock, and seems to do a very good job at being a clock - multiple easy to read clock display options, auto-dimming with room lighting, physical snooze button on top, but it is far more limited than the lenovo 7in smart display or the google home/nest/whatever they call them now hub.
The 7in smart display has a camera for video calls (if the recipient has a camera) via google duo, can make voice calls and display instructional content, weather, youtube videos etc. There is functionality difference between it and the google home hub, which can't make video calls (no camera on it), and has some different streaming options. There are some differences in what can be displayed/streamed/cast on the lenovo smart displays vs. the home hubs, and you'd need to research if that affects you - I looked into it when the lenovo 7in were below cost price at the good guys (and they refused to honour it and called me a liar when I showed them the OzB post, including a receipt and instore photo of the promo display from a VIC store where a user got the deal), and personally wasn't phased by the difference, so I suspect it was minor, but I have long since forgotten what it was.
I've not shopped at the good guys since that incident - really poor service and outcome from the lenovo 7in deal at 2 out of the 3 stores in the ACT. Denying me the deal would have annoyed me but been fine, calling a customer a liar and accusing them of trying to scam the store - gg, customer lost.
I bought one of these from TGG a while ago. It loses its connection once or twice a month.
Reconnects with a power on/off cycle but this makes me apprehensive to use it as an alarm clock.
Read somewhere if you disable IPv6 on your router this solves the porblem.geez that's a pretty big failing, crazy it doesn't support the router using IPv6
I feel like i'm the only one who didn't have a good experience with these.
We have two of these at home…Unhappy mostly for two reasons
1) The version of google assist on these is old. When Frozen2 was released, there was a google assist interactive story which we wanted to try with our son. But it wouldn't trigger on non-official devices. So, some unsupported voice commands were one thing that was a minor disappointment.2) But the bigger reason, is the spotify playback. Constant music dropout, play/pause loops - where it randomly just stops playing songs mid way through, or just cycles play/pause 10 times a second - until we intervene with our phone - on both devices.
I mean, good to hear everyone else having a good time.
Just wasn't our experience.
@sicarian: unable to send pm, overseas user?
Nope, local, i've had PM's before so not sure - but I've PM'd you :)
need one with video
What do people use this for? I already have a phone for my alarm and time. Another clutter in the room.
Pay a little more for google nest hub with much more functionality
It's a digital clock. You tell the time with it.
I have the Nest Hub..does it lack any features the Nest hub has? Our hub is next to the TV and just cycles our kids photo album but I was also looking for one to throw in the home office now that I'm WFH. Also is it as responsive as the hub in terms of speed & function
No it doesn't. This was another point which we were dissapointed with as well as the Lenovo device does not cycle your google photos properly. The Google next hub we now have does this perfectly but you'll be dissapointed as well if you get this Lenovo expecting the same thing.
Brilliant. sorry to hear your situation but thanks for clarifying
You're welcome, its a shame as its a good looking little device but you really do get what you pay for here I'm sorry to say. Chalk and cheese experience between the Google hub and the Lenovo.
Had one of these and our experience was less than great. Initially we thought it was awesome but found the following issues which ended up having us return it and getting a pure google device which was much better.
a) Screen becomes unresponsive and menus not showing properly/at all (This is the reason we returned it)
b) Random speech in the middle of the night waking us up
c) It changes its MAC address constantly on your network (yes mac, not IP, its a known issue) which in turn uses a lot of IP leases which may or may not be an issue for you (some people have IP limits on firewalls).All in all I wouldn't recommended it, I know others that have it and haven't had issues but certainly we found strange problems with it.
The google nest hub we replaced it with is a LOT better.
I have a nest hub which I used in the kitchen and I love it. Originally brought it as an alarm clock but it wouldn't let me set radio alarms. Haven't tested it recently so hopefully they have added this feature.
c) That's just an Android thing - might be something in settings to disable it;
https://source.android.com/devices/tech/connect/wifi-mac-ran…You're right, it is but when I was looking into this on the Lenovo forums regarding this issue at that stage it was the way it was designed by default in the firmware and there was no (user known) way to disable it. It was creating issues for a number of people but not seen by the majority of home users so they don't care. If active IP limits are an issue though, its a big deal and a 'feature' people should be aware of.
Edit: Note this MAC randomization for privacy is done by a number of devices including iphone and android, its mostly useless in its implementation, especially on a static alarm clock people use in a bedroom :)
I use it as my alarm clock and it works great except for one problem that started about 1 month ago.
When I set a radio alarm (play a radio station on alarm) it works fine, but if I tell it to snooze (or tap the top of the clock, or bump the bedside table) it says "snoozing for 10 minutes) then it snoozes for about 1 hour.
Avoid lenovo and huawei like the Coronavirus, unless you want a spy camera in your bedroom.
Awesome thanks OP, been wanting to get another one of these and nearly jumped at $79.
Cheers op been on the hunt for another few of these. Very handy!
Do people find they use this device alot or does it just gather dust?
Can it play a radio app? steaming live radio like abc or tunein?
Can it display photos?Cheers :)
yes online radio can
yes display google photosWhat are the best features over Google home mini?
Can it show calendar?
many reviews on youtube you can get clear picture by watching some
Can also play Spotify
Can you swipe to switch between photos when using Google Photos as clock face? I've been trying to Google for an answer for a while, but never seem to be able to find an answer.
Can you get this to display a web page ? Looking for a cheap display in the kitchen to show household solar/energy usage
Ebay plus binglee with voucher for $64 with free delivery. Voucher at checkout
What? Oh that $5 off every month we get as a plus member… I get it too
Didn't even know that was a thing. Shows how much attention I'm paying. Didn't get it offered on my last purchase though? Just looked again, does look personalised you're right
Great for podcasts or music in bed too
Bought the same and found a problem. Smart Clock randomizes the MAC address, this makes it impossible to use it in access controlled wifi network. With the MAC randomisation, each time the MAC address changes, you need to reapprove the devices in your network. If this happens during the night, the connection is dropped and thus no connection and no alarms.
Support answered: Unfortunately, the device is intended to be used in a home environment where you don't have a MAC address whitelist requirement. So if you have the network with whitelist, try to find another smart clock.Have had this for a while.
It seems to read out love poems to me and tells me that we make a swell couple.
Wife is not happy,
Already got Google home mini what's good about this?
It has a screen.
Then the price is not justified. Each to its own, there's already enough internet services with screens. Plain simple clock not needing internet is all I need
i will buy when smart people at xda start to hack this so we can install custom clock faces etc.
already one hack to play youtube so anything is possible
I highly recommend this smart clock which I use daily as my bedside table alarm clock / google assistant. It is also dimmable.