Smart home
Lenovo Smart Clock Essential Review
A toned-down and more affordable version of the Lenovo Smart Clock which I have already reviewed, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential simplifies the display and brings the price down. At its core, it’s still a smart speaker, but with a basic monochrome display to tell you the time. Is this the ideal smart device for your bedside or table top? Find out in this review.
The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is smaller and more affordable than the Lenovo Smart Clock
Lenovo Smart Clock Essential design and specifications
While the Lenovo Smart Clock has a colour screen, the Smart Clock Essential has a 4-inch monochrome LED non-touch display. It shows the time, day of the week, and a weather report (temperature and conditions) for the location that you define using the Google Home app. The screen also displays symbols for active alarms, when set. At the top of the screen is a set of four lights that illuminate when the volume is being adjusted, or to let you know that the device is listening for voice commands after the wake words have been spoken.
The screen is tilted just a bit upwards for easy visibility, making this device equally suitable for use by your bedside or on a table top. The rest of the body narrows towards the back, and is fabric-wrapped on all sides. The bottom of the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential has rubber grips to keep it securely in place on a smooth, hard surface.
The back of the device has the power socket for the included power adapter, a physical switch to mute the microphones for privacy, and a rather useful USB Type-A port; you can connect a charging cable and use the Smart Clock Essential to charge other devices this way. Just above the screen are two microphones, and the top of the device has physical buttons to control the volume and playback, and set alarms. Of course, all of these functions can also be controlled through voice commands.
For voice commands and controls, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential uses Google Assistant, and it works like any other Google Assistant-powered smart device. The speaker has a rated output of 3W, and is at the top of the Smart Clock Essential, firing upwards. There’s dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 for connectivity, 4GB of RAM, and an Amlogic processor powering the device. Interestingly, there is also a night light around the back of its body, with a rated brightness of up to 31 lumens.
There is a USB port at the back to charge other devices. The ring around the rear panel acts as a smart nightlight.
Lenovo Smart Clock Essential features and performance
Although the first smart speakers with Google Assistant came from Google itself, brands such as Lenovo, Xiaomi, and Sonos have since entered the segment with their own products. They work with Google Assistant in the same way that Google’s own smart speakers work: always-on microphones are listening for the wake phrases, and the speakers can carry out various tasks including answering queries, operating smart appliances, and playing audio content.
The display of the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is additional to the full-fledged smart speaker functionality. It is uncomplicated and does exactly what it’s supposed to, showing basic information such as the time, weather, and day of the week. You can’t customise this or control what the screen shows at all, but I don’t see this as a problem; it’s meant to be used as a clock, and serves that purpose well. You can set the brightness of the display using voice commands, and the dimmest setting isn’t harsh on the eyes in a dark room.
Since the device doesn’t have a touch screen, there are buttons to control some functions, including adjusting the volume, playing and pausing content, and setting alarms. While the volume and playback controls are simple enough, setting alarms using the buttons is incredibly complicated and prone to errors. I preferred setting alarms using voice commands, which were a lot quicker to execute as well.
Interestingly, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential also has a night light at the back, which can be turned on and off using voice commands. It’s useful to have, and the soft lighting, working just as a small night light would.
The display of the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential shows the time and weather conditions prominently
I did have to use very specific voice commands though, as they often clashed with voice commands I use to operate other smart lights in my home. For example, the command “Hey Google, turn on the light” activated both the smart light in the same room as the device, as well as the night light on the Smart Clock Essential. A separate “Hey Google, turn off the night light” command was needed to fix the situation.
Sound quality on the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential isn’t particularly good; the odd angle of the speaker, its size and output rating, and the sonic signature itself make for a shrill sound that I didn’t find too pleasant. While I didn’t mind the sound quality for voice responses from Google Assistant, and even for voice-based content such as podcasts, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential didn’t sound very good with music.
Listening to a cover of Maroon 5’s Maps by Postmodern Jukebox, the highs and mid-range sounded piercing, with the cymbals, high-hats, and retro-inspired vocals all somewhat unpleasantly sharp. This could be minimised by reducing the volume, but that defeated the purpose of using it as a speaker for much more than occasional listening in very specific settings. You can, through voice commands, customise the alarm tones and have specific tracks or playlists to wake you up, but you’ll need to be able to give the right voice commands to get this done.
A small, but not inconsequential issue that I had with the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential involves its microphones. Although they worked well for me and accurately picked up wake phrases and voice commands for Google Assistant from up close, I occasionally had my Google Nest Audio (placed in a different room) pick up and act on the command instead, even though I was closer to the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential. This was overcome by speaking softly, and moving closer to the Smart Clock Essential. Perhaps better microphones would have prevented this odd problem in the first place.
Verdict
The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is very similar to the Smart Clock, but with one obvious difference – the screen. The monochrome LED display makes the Smart Clock Essential a better and more effective bedside or table-top device than the Smart Clock, and the lower price sweetens the overall deal. Save for a few small quirks involving the microphones and night light, this device operates fairly well.
Poor sound quality is its biggest weakness, and that’s a pretty significant point to consider on a device that is pitched as a smart speaker (of sorts). Although Google Assistant and all allied functions work well, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential has an oddly unpleasant sound that makes it somewhat unsuitable for listening to music. It’s worth considering this device for its form factor, features, and bedside alarm clock functionality, but you would definitely be better off with the Rs. 3,499 Mi Smart Speaker if you are invested in the Google Assistant ecosystem and sound quality is an important consideration.
Gadgets360 spoke with Manu Sharma, Managing Director of Dreame Technology India, about the company’s plans for the Indian market. Speaking about the partnership, Manu Sharma said, “We are extremely happy to welcome Kriti Sanon to the Dreame family. Her strong interest in technology and progressive outlook resonate with our mission to revolutionize Indian homes with intelligent, cutting-edge solutions.” Some responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Smart cleaning is still a new concept for many Indian households. How is Dreame educating the market and building trust among first-time users?
Smart cleaning may be a relatively new concept in India, but there are immense possibilities in this field. There are many nuclear families in India. Additionally, a large number of people are working in various sectors. Many couples find it difficult to manage household cleanliness along with their jobs. In such a situation, we aim to make their lives easier through our automated vacuum cleaners and other AI-powered products, allowing them to focus more on their careers and families.
We are witnessing a significant surge in demand for these products in India. While awareness about these products is currently limited, we believe the future holds great potential, and this will soon become a booming industry.
We are actively working to educate people about smart cleaning solutions. Appointing Kriti Sanon as the brand ambassador for Dreame Technology is part of this strategy. Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon has a strong youth following in India, and we are targeting that demographic.
Our goal is to cater to every segment of society, which is why our robotic vacuum range starts from Rs. 15,000 and goes up to Rs. 1 lakh. Additionally, we are expanding into offline markets soon, where customers will be able to experience our products firsthand. We are planning to expand in India in a phased manner to provide people with the best automated AI technology products we are developing.
Dreame’s product range in India
How do you see the smart home/robotic vacuum cleaner market evolving in India over the next five years, and what role will Dreame play in this growth?
Last year, the smart home vacuum cleaning market in India was around 1.5 lakh units. This year, it is expected to double to approximately 3 lakh units. Our market share has grown significantly—from 5 percent last year to over 25 percent now—positioning us to clearly become the market leader in India by year-end. Currently, the penetration of smart vacuum cleaners in India remains low, which makes it challenging to project the market over the next five years. However, we are optimistic that the market size will continue to double annually over the next five to six years, and we are aligning our strategy accordingly.
What are the company’s plans for this financial year? Can the company open its exclusive offline experience store in India?
We plan to launch eight new products in India this year. We have already launched the first batch of products in this lineup. Before the festival season, you will get to see many of our new products in the Indian market. Our company has many exclusive offline experience stores in multiple locations across the world. In such a situation, if we see good growth in India, then we will soon open our exclusive offline experience store here.
India is a price-sensitive yet aspirational market for many companies. How does Dreame plan to balance affordability with premium innovation here?
Yes, you are right. That’s why we are full range of player. we have as a mention products from Rs. 15,000 to almost Rs. 1 lakh. We have products for all different income group people. We are definitely seeing growing demand in this segment in India. As volumes increase, it will naturally impact pricing, allowing us to offer our products at more affordable prices. For example, many of our premium products that were priced around Rs. 1 lakh a few years ago are now available for approximately Rs. 50,000. Since we manufacture our products in-house, we have full control over the supply chain. As demand continues to grow, we are committed to passing those benefits on to our customers.
Is Dreame planning to launch India-specific models or variants in coming months — because on environment wise we are different from other country?
Currently, most of the products we have launched in the Indian market are global products. But we already started tuning our products according to the Indian environment. For example, deep cleaning, high suction power and mopping are very important aspects for India. One such product of ours is L10 Prime, which comes with full stack mopping with entry level price. In the coming time, we will definitely launch our products according to Indian conditions. Apart from this, if the demand increases in India, we will also consider setting up our manufacturing units here under Make in India initiative.
How are you handling after-sales service and customer support, which are critical for tech products in India?
Our products are still new to the Indian market. In such a situation, our engineers are going to people’s homes and giving them demo of the products. We are continuously expanding our reach. Earlier, we initially delivered to 165 cities, that number has now grown to 200. We offer pick-up and drop-off services for our customers, and if any issues arise with the product, our engineers visit the customer’s home to resolve them. We’ve also partnered with third-party service providers to enhance our after-sales support. People can also connect through toll free numbers.
During the briefing, I got a chance to check out the 65-inch variant of the X Pro QLED TV. Its design remains the same as before. It still features the same skinny metal bezel that surrounds the massive display. Apart from the 43-inch and 55-inch options, I was told that the TV will also be launched in a smaller 32-inch variant. The smaller display means that it will be offered at an even lower price point, which will make the QLED TV more accessible than it already is.
The design of the 2025 models are similar to the previous one
Photo Credit: Xiaomi
There’s a new remote. It has rounded sides, which makes it more comfortable to hold. It is also a lot taller than the previous one. Xiaomi has added a number pad to it and gets new RGYB buttons at the bottom.
The TV’s slim design is now accompanied by better-sounding, built-in box speakers. Xiaomi has considered feedback on the previous series and enhanced the TV’s audio delivery. The brand claims that these deliver better sound compared to the previous models, but in terms of wattage, the 43-inch model remains the same as before, which is 30W on paper. The 55-inch and 65-inch models get a slight boost at 34W.
The audio quality was sufficiently loud, clear, and immersive during my short experiential session. Indeed, it seemed as if it did not need an optional sound bar. But again, I was listening to and viewing a movie in a very controlled, studio-like environment.
The panels have changed… well, kind of. The displays that generally operate at 60Hz can now, thanks to DLG technology (Dual line gate), double their refresh rate when required. Xiaomi claims it is useful when watching sports (with enhanced motion) or when connected to a console to play games that support high refresh rates. Xiaomi offers 4K 120Hz panels on all three models. However, do keep in mind that DLG does reduce the resolution of the panel when aiming to deliver a faster frame-rate.
The new remote gets a number pad among other add-ons
Photo Credit: Xiaomi
The main attraction of Xiaomi’s X Pro QLED series this year is the Filmmaker Mode or FMM. Xiaomi claims that it is supposed to show any content (except for gaming content) from any source (Blu-ray discs, streaming, or broadcast) the way it was intended by the filmmaker. FMM also corrects the aspect ratios and frame rates, preventing any artificial enhancements from ruining the movie.
While it sounds fancy, it is basically a picture mode which turns off all the unnecessary alterations like frame insertion (motion-enhancing MEMC), sharpening or colour boosting that happens in the standard or other picture modes provided by the TV. The result is content that appears natural and untouched, as it was intended to appear whether you are watching standard definition content or HDR content. The mode can be activated either manually (in picture settings) or is automatically triggered by the metadata in the content being viewed.
During my short demo, the Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode in the new X Pro series did make the colours appear natural in this mode, with lesser sharpening and the motion enhancing (or motion interpolation) turned off.
In terms of software, Xiaomi’s PatchWall continues to exist. PatchWall and the underlying Android TV worked as intended during the demo. However, smart TVs (especially the affordable ones) are known to lag once they begin to age. With no hardware upgrades compared to the previous models, I am a bit sceptical about how well the new X Pro will age.
The port selection too remains the same as on previous models
Photo Credit: Xiaomi
The Smart TV experience is powered by a quad-core Cortex A55 CPU and a Mali G52 GPU. There’s 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, all of which is identical to what you get on the previous model. The port selection also remains the same as before. There are two USB 2.0 ports, one ethernet port, an AV port, three HDMI ports (one with eARC), an earphone jack and a port for the antenna.
We will be testing out the Xiaomi X Pro QLED series thoroughly in our review. With price tags starting from as low as Rs. 31,999 these TVs, given their QLED panels, do seem feature-packed but do check out our detailed review before you take the leap.
Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro Series Price in India, Availability
Price of the Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro smart TV series starts at Rs. 31,999 for the base model with a 43-inch screen. The 55-inch variant is priced at Rs. 44,999, while the 65-inch version is priced at Rs. 64,999. The new series will go on sale starting April 16 through Flipkart, Mi.com, and Xiaomi retail stores.
During the launch event, the brand also confirmed that a new Xiaomi QLED TV A Pro 32-inch variant will be available in May. Pricing details for the 32-inch TV will be revealed at a later date.
Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro Specifications
The Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro series is offered in 43-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch displays with 4K (2,160×3,840 pixels) resolution and a 178-degree viewing angle. The display supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and offer up to 120Hz refresh rate. They use Xiaomi’s propriety Vivid Picture Engine 2 technology and DLG (Dual Line Gate) technology.
The 43-inch model has a 30W speaker unit, whereas the 55-inch and 65-inch variants have a speaker unit with 34W audio output. They support Xiaomi Sound, Dolby Audio, DTS:X and DTS Virtual: X technology. The Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro models run on Quad Core A55 chip alongside Mali-G52 MC1 GPU. They pack 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. They come with a MagiQ feature that is claimed to deliver vibrant, true-to-life colours. Xiaomi has also included a Filmmaker mode.
Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro series runs on Google TV with Xiaomi’s own Patchwall UI. The series has Bluetooth and dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity. All three models feature Xiaomi TV+, a platform that provides free access to live channels. They support Apple AirPlay 2, and there is inbuilt Google Chromecast and Miracast. They have an inbuilt Google Voice Assistant that lets users navigate the TV with voice commands. They offer a Kids Mode feature with a parental lock.
The new Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro series ships with a remote with a numerical keypad. It has features such as Quick Wake and Quick Settings. The TVs include three HDMI ports with support for eARC, two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, an AV connector, Antenna input, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The 65-inch variant measures 1445 x75 x833, while the 55-inch and 45-inch models measure 1226 x76 x711mm and 57x72x563mm (without stand), respectively.
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