Even though Pocket-lint was told by Microsoft that the Android and iOS versions of its second-screen app for Xbox 360 would not be available until "early 2013", the Android version of Xbox SmartGlass is now available for download from Google Play.

SmartGlass - which is also available on Windows 8, Windows RT and will be coming to Windows Phone 8 soon (presumably on Monday 29 October when the new version of the phone operating system launches) -allows you to connect to your Xbox 360 and use it as a second-screen experience.

It offers controls for Internet Explorer on Xbox, and is far easier to use than a regular joypad when surfing the 'net or using social networks because it has both touch controls and a keyboard. And you can use it to zip through the Xbox Dashboard and, even, to search through Bing.

Read: APP OF THE DAY: Xbox SmartGlass for Android review

There is also integration with certain games, offering extra functionality such as a GPS map for Forza Horizon, and you will get additional information when watching a movie, for example.

Pocket-lint had a hands-on demonstration of Xbox SmartGlass's capabilities at E3 in June, but now you can have a go yourself. If you have an Android device, that is. There's still no sign of the application hitting Apple's App Store.

You will need Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or above on your device to get Xbox SmartGlass to work.

UPDATE We've also discovered (by trying to install it on a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1) that Xbox SmartGlass is not yet available for Android tablets. The app page itself says that it should work on "most" smartphones running Android 4.0 or above - as we already pointed out - with a screen resolution of WVGA. That doesn't seemingly include tablet devices yet.

Have you managed to get Xbox SmartGlass running on an Android tablet? How about a Samsung Galaxy Note 1 or 2? Let us know in the comments below...