What Sets the Lenovo Smart Assistant Apart?

So many similar products have come on the market recently and they all feature some kind of home speaker that listens when you speak and takes commands for things like playing music and ordering home goods. However, the Lenovo Smart Assistant is getting some attention for being supposedly better and brighter than the rest.

What makes it different? The Lenovo Smart Assistant works with Amazon’s Alexa. It comes as a tall cylinder, in a sleek and modern design in a few different colors (green, a few versions of gray, black and orange). But, if it works using Amazon’s Alexa, what sets it apart from the Amazon Echo or Dot?

There are a few things. For one, the Smart Assistant has eight microphones for a wider reach to pick up your voice commands from as far as 16 feet away in any direction. It also uses noise-cancelation technology to separate background noise from actual commands. Its better speaker system means a clearer, richer sound, too (additionally, you can purchase a special-edition Smart Assistant made in partnership with Harman Kardon, for an even better sound system).

One thing that may be a negative? Unlike the Echo, the Smart Assistant does not have a mute button, meaning it’s always listening in to see how Alexa can help out. It also requires a constant power connection, which is a nuisance.

The Smart Assistant, going for $129 (the Harman Kardon edition is $179), was initially set for release this summer, but the release date was pushed back indefinitely,with promises to announce a new date as soon as possible.