Lenovo's product makes a surprisingly solid case for why a smartspeaker should have a touchscreen, moreso than the Amazon Echo Show or Spot. Normally, part of the appeal of a smartspeaker involves how little attention you can pay to it. If you've got Apple's HomePod, for instance, you can say "turn off the living room lights" or "play 'Sleep Now in the Fire'" without having to wander over to a device or pull it out of your pocket.

As devices like the Echo Spot have shown us though, a screen does expand possibilities. You can view connected security cameras, make video calls, see the weather forecast, or if nothing else, check the time.