Lenovo to begin smart TV sales this month

Hong Kong: The Lenovo Group, the world's second-biggest maker of personal computers, said it will begin sales of so-called smart televisions that can access the internet in nine Chinese cities this month.

Lenovo's K-Series comes in four models with 42- or 55-inch screens, and use Google's Android 4.0 operating system with Qualcomm's Snapdragon dual-core processors, the Beijing-based company said in a statement.

CEO Yang Yuanqing is stepping up development of televisions, smartphones and tablets, to challenge Apple and Samsung. TV makers including Samsung and LG are introducing interactive features including voice-command searching for shows and web-based applications to lure buyers.

Great opportunity

"As Lenovo continues to strengthen its position in the PC industry, we are also further expanding into the field of internet devices," Yang said at a briefing in Beijing. "The PC-plus era is a great opportunity."

Apple may also be looking to the TV market to maintain growth. The company already sells Apple TV, a $99 (Dh363.64) streaming video set-top box.

In his biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson quoted him saying he had "finally cracked" the challenge of creating "an integrated television set that is completely easy to use".

Lenovo will offer its TVs in cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.