Xbox SmartGlass Review - Android

Xbox SmartGlass

Developer: Microsoft

Platform: Android, PC, IOS, Window Phone 8 (7?)

Price: Free

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This is what the touch
controls look like...

Google Play Description:

“Xbox SmartGlass lets your phone work with your Xbox 360 console to bring rich, interactive experiences and unique content about what you’re watching or playing, right to the device that’s already in your hand. Interact with your favorite TV shows, movies, music, sports, and games, and bring remote control to a whole new level.

You can also connect with your Xbox friends, track and compare your achievements, and change up your 3D avatar.”

What is it?

Xbox SmartGlass is Microsoft answer to the Wii-U’s Tablet controller. It basically adds touch screen capabilities to the Xbox as well as a second display that can hold different information that what you see on screen. Besides being a partner to your Xbox 360 Smart glass also doubles as an Achievement app and Avatar editor.

Does it Work?

Compared to what they shown off at E3 way back when, as of the time that this review is written, functionality is very limited. To generally answer the question, yes it does.

What's cool?

-          Concept

-          Clean UI

-          Editing Avatar on your mobile device

-          Being able to Send messages as well as Set Beacons

-          Comparing Games

-          Not having to use the God awful standard Xbox onscreen keyboard  

-          Bing search works just how you’d expect it to w/ Xbox Experience

What’s not?

-          Android app is limited

-          You still have to use that horrible onscreen keyboard for most apps (for example Netflix)  

-          Info that you get is Limited while using 3^rd Party apps (Netflix)

-          Can’t Stream media from android device

Pics from xbox smartglass for android

My Thoughts:

Though the app is now out of beta it still feels limited on android devices. I haven’t had too much playtime with the IOS or Windows Mobile versions to see how they differ. The PC version seems very functional but not practical unless you have a “Surface” tablet. Overall it the best achievement app you can get on android and it free. Hopefully Microsoft updates the app soon with more features like accessing your media and streaming it to Xbox.

UI: 5

Features: 4

Stability / Performance: 4.5

Price: 5

Google Play Store: 4.2

Score

22.7 / 25

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