Plenty of smart TV’s have entered the market in the past couple of years, using their own custom software access online content. HD, 3D and LED and Ice Cream Sandwichmay seem like standard tech-jargon to most, but to Lenovo it has sparked a new project. Say hello to the Lenovo K91 Smart TV.

Now, we don’t usually report on TV’s here on LGR, but what makes this TV special is that it’s to be powered by the latest Android OS update, Ice Cream Sandwich.

The TV will include a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage for your favourite shows. Smart TV’s, such as the Lenovo K91 look to cross the lines between computers and TV, offering the functionality of your laptop on the big screen.

So if you aren’t up to speed on mobile technology, and the words Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich just get you hungry, then sifting through the various Android devices might be a little difficult. If this does indeed describe you, then read on to find a few tips on buying your first Android phone.

Sticking to a budget 

There are some quality high-end Android phones available for you to purchase, but it may not be your best choice straight away. You can still get a quality handset sporting the Android OS for a fraction of the price some phones are charging. For one, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is a superb budget device, as well as the HTC Desire S. Both of these phones offer a great Android experience; while not compromising on design or performance.

The Galaxy Nexus is the most heavily anticipated Android phone of the year. It represents our first experience of Android 4 – Ice Cream Sandwich – and also serves as a reference design, showcasing Google’s idea of what an Android phone should be. The Nexus range is as close as we’re likely to get to an actual ‘Google phone’, but does that automatically make it the best Android phone?

Initial impressions are certainly a little anticlimactic. One of the new features in ICS is the presence of virtual buttons that appear (and occasionally disappear) at the bottom of the screen for the standard Home and Back functions as well one for a new task switching function as well. This renders fixed physical or capacitive buttons obsolete and as a consequence leaves the Nexus looking almost entirely featureless. Volume buttons on the left, a power button on the right and microUSB and headphone ports on the bottom are all you’ve got.

Even the promised curvature in the design only amounts to about a millimetre at its deepest point. You won’t notice it either in your hand or in your pocket. Thanks to its thinness the phone sits in your pocket comfortably enough, although there is no escaping the fact that this is a large handset. We hope other manufacturers don’t follow this trend too closely next year.

Christmas has come early for many Android fans among us, with Santa bestowing on us the latest OS update, say ho-ho-hello to Android 4.0. Deliciously named as Ice Cream Sandwich, the OS update delivered a whole host of new features, which have ultimately improved on the previous installments. We’ll be the  first to admit we had trouble getting used to the new OS update at first, but after a few hours, we were like giggly school children playing with a new toy. There’s a lot to get excited about with the new OS update, here are 5 reasons why Ice Cream Sandwich could possibly be the best OS update yet.

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Multitasking

The latest update to the Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, brought with it a whole host of new features aimed at giving the best possible user experience when using an Android phone. Some of these features include better camera features, face recognition and improved control over data usage. The feature that has been greatly overshadowed by a lot of people is the new addition of Android Beam, a unique and different element which adds something entirely new to the OS. So the question remains, what is Android Beam, and do you need it?

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What is Android Beam?

Issue 5 of Android Magazine is now on sale. This month it features a full look at Ice Cream Sandwich – Android 4.0 – and all the stunning new features you will be excited to be getting on your handset soon, or those you will be experiencing with the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

We also road test a series of satnav apps, and discover whether the free Google Maps Navigation is good enough, or whether you should pay for a GPS app.

Also this month: