Android P updates are coming to Android TV as well

Android P isn’t just coming to phones, Android TV devices will be receiving an update as well.

There will be a few design tweaks to the way that the interface works and looks, but more improvements will be noticeable during the setup process and in the back-end.

The first glimpse of the interface improvements can be seen in the new JBL Link soundbar trailer. It looks like there will now be some kind of app drawer button, which is great because there are currently far too many unused apps cluttering the home screen on my Sony Android TV. It also looks like the new version of Android TV will display Google Assistant information in a much cleaner way following the update.

Additionally, there will be a streamlined setup so it’s easier for users to use their TV with their Google account. If the TV is able to detect an Android phone in its vicinity the phone will receive a notification that prompts the user to start the TV setup the from their phone. Google has also made it easier to set up TVs by using iOS and the web.

Google also added an app selection screen as part of the set-up process. This makes it quicker for users to start using their TVs right after the setup. Some apps that are already installed on a user’s phone will automatically install on the TV too, if the same Google account is used on both devices.

The new update will help improve performance on low-end devices so ideally Google will be able to ship cheaper devices with Android TV once this update becomes available. This could place Google in a more head-to-head competition with Amazon and Roku who are both also trying to ship operating systems on cheaper TV sets.

Google finished off its presentation by sharing that the first devices to work with Android P TV will be the JBL Link Bar and the developer only ADT-2 device according to 9to5Google

Source: 9to5Google