Dongle-style stick devices have become popular of late, able to be hidden around the back of a television yet provide smart TV functionality, apps and access to all manner of video content.

Devices such as the Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick and the Roku Streaming Stick each provide ways to stream content to a television, while remaining discrete. However, Lenovo is going one better; it has announced the UK release of its Ideacentre Stick 300 - a similarly-shaped dongle that plugs into a HDMI port but can do much more. It is a fully-fledged PC.

Of course, the Stick 300 also comes with a heftier price tag than the other devices mentioned. It costs £129.99 but comes with an Intel Atom Processor Z3735F and Windows 8.1 pre-installed. It will also be applicable for a free upgrade to Windows 10 when Microsoft releases its new operating system on 29 July.

There is also 2GB of RAM on board, along with 32GB of storage space for apps mainly. And as it is equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, it can be paired with a wireless keyboard and/or mouse so users can use it to create office documents, browse the web and perform other basic computing functions.

Thanks to its small form factor, it can also be used while travelling - simply plug it into a hotel television and away you go. And with web browsers or desktop apps available for Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, BBC iPlayer, Spotify and plenty of other streaming services, it is as capable of performing media playback as any of the other dongles on the market.

The Lenovo Ideacentre Stick 300 will be available from lenovo.com, Dixons and Amazon from July.