You may remember that Microsoft announced SmartGlass last week during its E3 press conference. The basic gist is that people will be able to use any smart device running any software including iOS and Android to get additional info on their game or movie. It’s a great concept and Microsoft may be making their first move into that area today.
Joining the already in existence My Xbox Live App for iOS, Microsoft have now released the same app for Android. Could Microsoft be setting up the inevitable rollout of SmartGlass later this year?
So what does My Xbox Live for Android bring to the table? Pretty much the same stuff from the iOS version. It allows you to track and compare your achievements with your Xbox Live friends, change your avatar, message your friends on Xbox Live and edit your live photo.
My Xbox Live for Android requires an Android smartphone running 2.2 or higher and a WGVA screen resolution or higher. You can get it for your Android phone on Google Play.
As an aside, I tested out My Xbox Live on my HTC Inspire 4G and it works flawlessly. It’s smooth and suffers no lag on my admittedly old phone. Even though my Xbox 360 has been broken for a year now, it still picks up on my Games for Windows Live games and all the achievements I have earned in them so far.
Coinciding with the release of the Android app, Microsoft has updated the currently available iOS app to include more functionality on the iPhone. This functionality includes the ability to control content on the Xbox 360. Users will be able to use the iPhone as a remote control while playing back content like video and music.
The My Xbox Live app for the iPad has been updated to include retina display support. Microsoft has also improved authentication making it easier to connect to Xbox Live with Apple’s tablet. You can grab the iOS download at the App Store.
Of course, Major Nelson is quick to point out that these updates are not SmartGlass. You could make the argument that Microsoft is preparing for SmartGlass though, especially with the content control features that are in the updated iPhone app.