In letter : Google Android TV is featured on smart TVs made by many of the biggest OEMs in the industry. However, Google TV, the Google-developed launcher that sits on top of the operating system, is not so famous. Google plans to improve on this in 2022, bringing new features and improving apps from content providers.
Director of Product Management Rob Caruso describe part of what we can expect from Google TV’s UI in 2022. He made no firm early announcements, opting instead to provide a general guideline for Google’s search.
Some of the new features could be fitness-related, offering integrations with Google’s fitness services (Google Fit, Fitbit) and third-party services. Caruso also mentioned better integration with smart home controls, similar to new features found on Android devices. Additionally, Google TV users can also expect more communication apps such as Zoom and more free live TV channels, allowing users to watch content even if they don’t have a phone. active subscription with a content provider.
Besides betting on new features, Google also wants to improve apps from existing content providers, including Netflix, which still doesn’t allow users to add movies and shows to Google TV’s watchlist. Caruso promised that “things will get better”, but we’ll have to wait and see how things turn out.
Caruso expects new features and app enhancements from content providers to increase adoption of Google TV. Currently, Google has 250 device partners worldwide, seven of which are among the largest TV OEMs in the industry. However, most of them use old Android TV or custom builds.
“Over time, our bet and our desire is that the Google TV experience will be the preferred choice for us and our partners as we roll out, but Android TV is still here and it’s still rolling out, and obviously it’s always taken care of,” Caruso said.
Considering the 110 million monthly active Android TVs globally, TCL is probably the biggest selling OEM of Google TVs. At CES 2022, the TV maker claims it sells around 10 million Android and Google TVs per year. That’s nearly 10% of the entire Android TV market. During CES, the company also announced its new $10,000 Google TV 8K.
