TCL to bring Android 11 to its 2019 and 2020 Android TVs
TCL to bring Android 11 to its 2019 and 2020 Android TVs
By Mike Wheatley - 25 January 2021

TCL has confirmed that its 2019 and 2020 Android TV sets will be updated to Android TV 11 later this year. 

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XDA Developers said that when the upgrade arrives, it will bring new features such as support for Auto Low Latency Mode for apps, cinematic ads, instant apps, the Gboard TV keyboard with speech-to-text and predictive typing to TCL’s 2019 and 2020 Android TVs sold in Europe. 

Perhaps the most intriguing tidbit though is that the new update is said to be compatible with the new Google TV interface.

Google TV is a new “skin” for the Android TV operating system that brings quite a few new features aimed at making it easier to find content available across various different apps, so it may be worth having. For example, there’s a new “For You” tab that curates TV shows and movies on services that users already subscribe to, such as Netflix, YouTube etc. There’s also a “Live” tab that integrates streaming with live content, beginning with YouTube TV at launch, with the promise of additional services to come. Finally, there’s a “Watchlist” that works across the various Android TV devices each user owns, and allows them to bookmark titles and later watch them on another device. 

Google TV also integrates with Google Assistant, which provides a way to search for movies and TV shows using your voice, control smart home devices and so on. 

TCL has already said it’s planning to bring Google TV to its new 2021 Android TV models. However, XDA Developers’ report adds notes that it’s not clear yet if TCL’s older Android TVs will get the new interface, as discussions with Google are still ongoing. 

In any case, the upgrade to either Google TV or Android 11 is expected to roll out in the second half of this year. TCL’s 2019 and 2020 Android TV models include the 8K resolution X915, and the 4K C815, C715 and P815 ranges. 

Unfortunately, TCL’s Android TVs from 2018 and earlier will not be getting the upgrade.