Philips will begin rolling out the Android TV Oreo (8.0) operating system update to its 2016, 2017 and 2018 Android TVs — in that order — beginning in November.
The company says it is prioritising stability this time around, after a few tricky software rollouts. A limited number of 1000-2000 devices will receive the update initially, to assess its performance before it is pushed out to the wider install base. Dual-tuner models will be the last to receive the update.
Oreo features a redesigned user interface and adds a new “Play Next” feature that recommends content based on the user’s watch history. 2017 and 2018 Philips TVs will also receive Google Assistant features, with 2018 models also getting Alexa capabilities.
Philips’ 2015 Android TV models won’t receive the Oreo update.
Analyst Comment
This is a pretty good deal for Philips TV owners – Android 8.0 has a much more video-centric interface than earlier versions and is more suited to typical TV use. (BR)
