Both Philips and Hisense have had to delay the launch of new model Android TV’s in Australia with no indication given as to why Google is delaying the launch of a new version of their OS for TV’s.
Back at CES 2015 both Philips and Hisense showed new 2015 TV models running a version of Android TV’s.
Now retailers in Australia are being told that Philips will not have their new range of top end TV’s until early in 2015, while Hisense has told Narta members at their recent Barcelona conference that their Android TV range will not be available until September 2015 at the earliest.
Michael Richards General Manager of Brands at Tempo, the distributor of Philips TV’s confirmed the delay.
“We have not been told why the Philips Android TV’s have been delayed”. Richardson said.
Up until last month Sharp was set to launch a new Android TV range in Australia however this plan bit the dust when Sharp Australia pulled out of selling TV’s.
The operating system brings with it some 1.4 million apps and game from the Google Play app store, along with the potential to interact with and control them from both Android and Apple smartphones.
Although the Android TV website currently lists only 39 smart-optimized Android TV Google engineers at CES said that they were optimizing 500 to 700 apps a week to work on larger UHD displays.
Android TV owners will be able to control an Android TVs via the Google Cast app and via Android smartphones and the Chromecast iOS app for iPhones. Content from compatible smartphones can be transferred to a mirrored app on the UHDs.
Hisense were not available to comment.
