‘OK Google, I’m awake!’
Lenovo Smart Clock
£79.99, lenovo.com
There’s something very sci-fi about being woken up by a gently brightening light, then a robot voice telling you the weather and if there’s been a nuclear war overnight.
I can’t quite decide, though, whether it’s ‘good’ sci-fi (like jet-packs and robot servants) or faintly alarming.
‘Smart’ alarm clocks are becoming a thing, with Lenovo’s Smart Clock far from the first on offer
One thing is certain: it’s not ideal if you share a bed with a partner who gets up later than you. I’ve now started several mornings to the sound of my wife yelling: ‘OK Google, shut up!’
‘Smart’ alarm clocks are becoming a thing, with Lenovo’s Smart Clock far from the first on offer. It’s not much bigger than a traditional alarm, but with Google Assistant voice control built in. You can also use it to play music or, say, ask Google to read you a story (if you’re in the mood for a bizarre children’s fairy tale read out by a lifeless android voice).
The Lenovo Smart Clock is not ideal if you share a bed with a partner who gets up later than you. I’ve now started several mornings to the sound of my wife yelling: ‘OK Google, shut up!’
You can set the screen so it slowly brightens up over 30 minutes, but it’s otherwise fairly thin on functions: basically, it’s just a Google Home speaker with a few clock faces. There’s also no digital photo frame function.
But while it’s bare bones, it’s also decent value: the screen makes it a better option than Google’s Home Mini, and it’s not much more expensive. Plus, of course, you get to yell ‘Shut up’ at your alarm clock, which can’t be bad.