Lenovo is back with a new version of its Google Assistant-powered Smart Clock, this time with a new design, better sound, and a bundled wireless charging dock with an integrated night light.
Slated to arrive in September for $90—$10 more than its two-year-old predecessor—the Smart Clock 2 still has a four-inch display, a fabric-covered shell, and built-in Google Assistant.
But while the first Smart Clock was short and squat, the new one (which we haven’t seen in person yet) has a taller, shallower design, with a short, integrated base below the screen.
Inside that base is a pair of 1.5-inch front-firing speakers that will deliver “improved” sound compared to the original, according to a Lenovo rep.
More interesting is the new wireless charging dock, which will come bundled with the Smart Clock 2.
Lenovo
The Lenovo Smart Clock’s wireless charging dock is both Qi- and MagSafe-compatible, and it has an integrated night light plus a rear USB-A charging port.
Roughly the same depth as the revamped Smart Clock but a few inches wider, the dock sits underneath the clock and attaches to it via a series of pogo pins.
When connected, the dock can wirelessly charge a Qi-compliant phone, and it’s compatible with Apple’s MagSafe standard. If you prefer wired charging, the dock has a rear USB-A charging port.
The dock also boasts a bonus feature: a thin, integrated night light that runs along the bottom edge of the clock’s base. Lenovo says you’ll be able to turn on the light (which has a brightness of up to 31 lumens) by swiping down on the front of the screen.
Lenovo’s briefing materials say the dock will be sold (in some territories, at least) both separately and bundled with the Smart Clock 2. In the U.S., however, the dock will “only” be sold bundled with the clock for a combined $90 sticker price, a Lenovo rep told TechHive.
Besides the design changes and the dock, the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 will be available in two new colors: Abyss Blue and Shadow Black, along with a Heather Gray version that matches the color of the first Smart Clock.
Our reviewer gave the original Lenovo Smart Clock solid marks, praising it for its “excellent design” and its agility with alarms. We did complain that the Smart Clock couldn’t display photos, but Lenovo plugged that hole with a post-launch update that allows users to connect the clock to their Google Photos albums.
We’ll have a full review of the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 once we test a sample unit.