No, Android TV is not dead



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You may have been tempted, after listening to Tuesday's keynote address by Google I / O, to declare Android TV a dead operating system. After all, it's been awhile since we've seen any new material spark our excitement, and the little news about Android TV coming out of Shoreline was focused on developers.

But no. Android TV is not dead. It's just that this week's keywords have been "coming later this year".

Consider:

  • A Google Play Store reorganized on Android TV. Arrives later this year.
  • The ability to use your voice and Google Assistant to easily switch to live TV. Arrives later this year.
  • PIN code connections for easier access to your favorite applications and for easier payment. Also coming later this year.

And that's what we know and discussed at Google I / O.

In addition, Google was still promoting the fact that there were more than 5,000 apps for Android TV and 1,000 streaming content providers. These are vanity numbers, to be sure. There are certainly not 5,000 apps that you just to have to download, and 1000 streams you just to have watch. But the ecosystem is also not a wasteland, even though it's still shunned by DirecTV Now, and stuck with a blocked Hulu application.

The shortage of new equipment – or at least the new material that is worthy of mention, given the thud produced by the last two American editions of Xiaomi – is annoying, of course. NVIDIA Shield remains the best Android TV box you can buy, even years after its release. (And this is certainly not a perfect device, even as powerful as it is.)

But most certainly happens later this year. At the very least, updated Home and Play Store screens and features. More likely something a little more definitive, in the form of a standalone event, or perhaps a part of the autumnal manna that has become an annual thing for Google. The new material is not certain until it is, but I would not bet against that.

Has the news of Android TV slowed down this developer conference? Yes a bit. This does not diminish what has been announced. The discovery of applications is important. It is extremely important to be able to register more easily in applications and reduce friction on payments, if it is a title as sexy.

But no. Android TV is not dead. Not far away.

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