Android TV is getting a new developer-focused streaming device soon, along with an update to Android 10. Android TV is Google’s streaming platform that provides access to Android apps on the TV.
The new streaming device is the ADT-3. This follows on from last year’s ADT-2 and is aimed at developers working on Android TV. With this being a developer device, the ADT-3 is unlikely to ever be available to buy in your local Best Buy.
Though not aimed at the public, the ADT-3 is an interesting device. For one thing, it’s a dongle. Unlike traditional set-top box streaming players, the ADT-3 is a small unit that’s hidden away behind the TV.
While this design will be familiar to Fire TV and Roku OS users, it is not one that’s widely available via Android TV. At present, the only Android TV dongle device you can buy is the AirTV Mini.
Due to the ADT-3 not going on general sale, this device won’t change the lack of Android TV dongle availability. However, with Google now using this design as a reference design, it’s likely that other manufacturers will follow suit in the future.
Here’s what the new ADT-3 Android TV device looks like:
Here’s the limited but confirmed specs for the new ADT-3 streaming device:
- Dongle-design
- Android 10
- Quad-core A53
- 2GB of DDR3 memory
- 4Kp60 HDR
- HDMI 2.1 output
Android 10 upgrade for Android TV
Along with the new device, comes Android 10. This version of Android was released in late 2019 and is now available on select devices, such as the Google Pixel line of smartphones. Android 10 brings with it a number of important features and security improvements.
The fact Google announced Android 10 at the same time as the new developer streaming player is not a coincidence. Unlike Amazon and Roku, Google does not typically roll out major operating system updates to devices running on its platform, unless they are its own devices.
All of the Android TV devices currently available to buy are not Google devices. Instead they are products made by third-party companies, including NVIDIA, Sony, Xiaomi, Sharp, and others.
The news of the Android 10 on Android TV update is more aimed at those companies who will now be readying the Android 10 update for their respective devices. In addition, the new streaming player allows developers to get to know Android 10 better and provide them with a hardware solution to test new features and apps on.
A point to note: while Android 10 is now confirmed for Android TV, that doesn’t necessarily mean all Android TV devices will get updated to Android 10.
That decision will remain up to the makers of the device. In some cases, it also might be dependent on the device’s hardware limitations.
Source: Google
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