This archive report was first published on 8 January 2020.
January 8, 2020, marked a significant milestone for Android TV as Google announced the availability of Android 10 on its TV platform.
Launched five years ago, Android TV has been Google's attempt to bring its popular mobile platform to the living room. The company has acknowledged this by releasing feature updates over the last few months.
One of the notable features of Android 10 on Android TV is the redesigned Google Play Store, which has been rolling out to users. The new store offers a more streamlined user interface, making it easier for users to discover and download new apps.
For users on tight budgets and with unreliable data connections, Android TV now comes with built-in data-saving features. This is a significant improvement, especially for those who rely on their TV for entertainment and information.
However, the rollout of Android 10 on existing TV sets may take some time. Some of the most notable Android TV partners, such as Xiaomi, are still trialling Android 9 Pie on their televisions, with no set timeline for when Android 10 will be available to users.
At its annual developer conference in May 2019, Google projected that at least 60% of televisions on the Android TV platform would be running on Android 8, Oreo, by the end of the year. This is a concerning trend, especially considering that at least 80% of TV sets on the platform were powered by Android 7, Nougat, at the time.
Despite these challenges, Android TV has made significant progress in recent months. The platform's app numbers have surged to at least 5,000, up from just over 3,000 the year before.
