The latest Android operating system for smartphones right now happens to be the Android 10, which is the build fresh out from Google offices. But, while the Android smartphones are running Android 10 for quite some time now, the TVs which are based on the Android TV software have been stuck on the Android 9 Pie version of the Android TV for long now. But, it seems that the wait for Android 10 on TVs is finally over for the viewers. Now, before you get ahead of yourselves, it is worth noting that the Android 10 for TVs does not bring any substantial interface-level changes that would catch the eye of the viewers or bring any major changes to the UI of your TV. The main changes that Android 10 brings for Android TV-based devices are on the backend. Some of these changes include key performance and security updates and API level 29. Also, for the developers who work on Android TV, there is a new dongle called ADT 3.
Android 10 for Android TV Improvements
The announcement of the new Android 10 for Android TV-based devices, comes from a new blog post from Google in which the company has highlighted that it ships new performance and security upgrades. Along with this announcement, Google has also shown excitement for its new project Treble that will bring speedier Android updates for all Android devices, including Android TV. The company has noted in its blog post, “We're excited to provide faster updates through Project Treble and more secure storage with encrypted user data. TLS 1.3 by default also brings better performance benefits and is up to date with the TLS standard. In addition, Android 10 includes hardening for several security-critical areas of the platform.”
New Android TV Version Update Schedule
Now the question in the minds of the Android TV users would be about the schedule of the update rollout and when they would be able to experience the latest Android TV atop their TV screens. To which, it is safe to say that since Google hasn’t currently rolled out a schedule, the OEMs will be the one to roll out these updates to the users at their own timelines. It is also worth noting that since there is a lack of support for the Nexus Player, the users will have to wait for the Nvidia Shield TV to experience the changes.
Google Brings ADT3 for Developers to Test Android TV Apps
Further on, Google has revealed that the ADT3 will be its new streaming dongle which will run the latest Android TV software. This dongle comes with quad-core Cortex-A53 SoC, paired with 2GB of DDR3 RAM. It also comes with a 4Kp60 HDR HDMI 2.1 output. As for the pricing and the availability of this new dongle, Google has said that this device would be available for purchase from an unspecified developer in the coming months. Also, Google has not revealed any details about the pricing of this dongle.
It is worth noting that the ADT3 stick from Google would be a step up over the ADT2 OTT HDMI stick which Google had launched last year for developers. Similarly, the ADT3 would be meant for development purposes only. Also, according to a roadmap charted out by XDADevelopers, Google might have some big plans for next year, wherein it might launch a “hero” device to bring smart home experience to the people. Not only this, but Google might also bring the Stadia integration to Android TV to increase the uptake for Android TV.
