Sweden's People of Lava Says It Will Offer the World's First Android-Based TV

A Swedish company called People of Lava said Monday that it has become the first company to launch an Android-based TV. Dubbed the "Scandinavia," the new connected TV, which is billed as featuring USB connectivity and a full-HD LED display, is slated to be available in stores following an official launch at the IFA Berlin in September. However, the company says that, starting in early summer, it will offer a beta-test program that will allow "selected early users" to purchase and evaluate the set. The company also says that it is currently engaged in discussions with potential content and application partners. "Think of it as a device that provides all the functionality that you would expect from an Android smartphone, combined with the quality and definition you demand of a high-end full-HD LED TV set," People of Lava co-founder and CEO, Christian Svantesson, said in a prepared statement.

According to People of Lava, the Scandinavia Android TV will initially be available in a 42-inch version, followed by 47- and 55-inch version. The company says that the set's Android platform and Internet connectivity will allow it to offer a range of out-of-the-box Android TV applications, including YouTube, Google Maps, a weather app, a calendar, a clock and a Web browser; and that users will also be able to download a range of free and paid apps from a planned app store, including apps for Twitter, Facebook and email.

People of Lava is also touting the Scandinavia's design and materials: according to the company, it worked with the German office of Designit to design the set, which employs materials that it claims have never been used in television before, including "a nearly natural material, with a very deep gloss, and hard as stone, otherwise mainly found in exclusive kitchen and yachts." The company says that, because of the set's unique design and materials, it has set up its own assembly line at its offices in Stenungsund, just outside of Sweden's second city, Gothenburg (note: according to the company, the set will be built by hand). The 42-inch version of the set is expected to retail for between 2,000 and 2,500 Euros.