For the past couple of years Google has been trying very hard to establish its foothold in the living room. When Google TV failed to take off the company went back to the drawing board. Last year it announced Android TV, a completely new platform that focuses on apps and services as well as gaming. Nexus Player is the first device powered by this platform and at the Consumer Electronics Show 2015 some big names announced that their upcoming smart TVs will be powered by Android TV.
This is great for Google as these partners have a strong presence in the global TV market. Their upcoming models, which will be powered by Android TV, would give the platform great exposure and hopefully establish it as a major player in the smart TV space.
Google has confirmed that new smart TVs from the likes of Sony, Sharp and TP Vision (Philips) will run on Android TV when they’re launched later this year. Sony and Sharp will also use the platform on their 4K models while all of Philip’s TVs will be powered by Android TV.
The list doesn’t end here. Huawei is currently working on an Android TV media player which will be launched a few months later. The Forge TV from Razer will get Android TV next month.
Despite the fact that these major companies have agreed to take a chance on Android TV many, like LG and Samsung, have decided to look the other way. LG uses webOS while Samsung has switched all future models to Tizen. Would these companies change their stance in the future? Only time will tell.
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