Chinese technology giant Lenovo, currently the world number two producer of notebooks, has beaten Apple to the jump in its rumored TV ambitions by releasing their own set : the K91 Smart TV. Available for viewing at this year's CES, the device will initially only be available in China, with worldwide availability expected shortly.
The slightly unexpected device from the Chinese manufacturer will provide typical TV functionality with its 55-inch display, combined with what is claimed to be console-quality gaming capabilities. In a move that trumps even Google's own TV offerings, the new TV includes Android's Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 OS, and will recognize voice commands. The firm says the K91 unites all three smart TV functions by offering videos on demand, internet applications and traditional TV programs.
It packs a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8060 dual core processor, a 1920x1080 pixel IPS LED backlit display, 3D FPR technology that provides a flicker-free 3D picture, up to 240Hz refresh rate and fully integrated wireless B/G/N support. Also included is an integrated 5 megapixel webcam, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage, plus the usual HDMI connectors and DLNA support. Meanwhile, the remote control has a gamepad style design, with a touchpad and five-way directional pad as well as a motion sensor.
The company moved away from the more typically used Chromium OS in order to take advantage of Ice Cream Sandwich's facial recognition features for screen unlocking, natural language processing (NLP) and video interaction through the integrated webcam. This is literally the first smart TV to incorporate a dual core Snapdragon dual core processor and run Google's Android 4.0 operating system.