Chinese computer maker Lenovo on Monday announced its first foray into the television market — a sleek flat screen smart TV running the latest version of Google’s Android operating system.
The K91 Smart TV is the first television to come from Lenovo, which became the world’s second largest PC maker after buying IBM’s ThinkPad line in 2005.
Lenovo’s move into the market comes as a host of other companies, including LG, Samsung and Sony are set to announce competing products at the world’s largest consumer technology trade show.
A major focus at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is on the spread of hybrid computer/televisions that are powered by Android, and which aim to marry the convenience of regular TV sets with the interactivity of the web and the rich vein of Internet content available on YouTube, Netflix and other video sites.
Apple is expected to announce a new version of its Apple TV later this year in a move that will increase the company’s rivalry with Google’s Android operating system.
The K91 TV set will initially only be available in China, and is the first Google TV to run the Ice Cream Sandwich version of the Android operating system. It comes pre-loaded with 100 apps from the Android marketplace, and features a remote control with a touchscreen and integrated microphone for voice control.
Lenovo also revealed plans for its first smartphone, the S2, in a further sign of how the boundaries that once demarcated the technology world are falling as computer chips become ever smaller, increasingly powerful and almost ubiquitous.
The Android-based S2 features a crisp 3.8-inch screen and a special security system, which protects the user’s data, as well as Lenovo’s automatic cloud-syncing feature for music, photos and other data.
Lenovo also unveiled the IdeaTab S2, a hybrid tablet computer that comes with a keyboard dock and which is meant to compete with ultrabooks, the thin and powerful laptops that represent another major trend at this year’s CES, with over 60 new models scheduled to be unveiled.
The Aspire S5 by Lenovo rival Acer could be the pick of the bunch. It certainly is the thinnest at just 15 millimetres — 2mm less than Apple’s Macbook Air, which launched the ultrabook craze. The Aspire S5 features a 13.3-inch screen, with further details set to be announced later in the show.
