Google is pushing its Android TV and Google TV partners to up the internal storage capacity of their hardware to a minimum of 16GB to resolve issues it’s having with updating some devices.
According to a report by Protocol, the problem is that many devices, such as the Chromecast with Google TV stick and the 2019 Nvidia Shield, only have 8GB of internal storage. Most TVs, on the other hand, have at least 16GB of storage space.
Of that storage space, a portion is reserved for the Android TV or Google TV system. Google said this results in insufficient storage capacity for system updates. The only way to get around it is to uninstall multiple applications first.
So Protocol says Google is now taking steps to address this problem by encouraging its hardware partners to ship Android TV devices with a minimum of 16GB storage space, if not higher, beginning with Android 13.
The report adds that Google is also requiring its partners to support Bluetooth 5.0 on all devices that run Android 13, due to new features planned to arrive in 2023 and 2024. In addition, Google is also planning on adding support for Android TV and Google TV devices to wirelessly output TV audio to external speakers. It’s a feature that has been in the works for some time, with the Wall Street Journal reporting back in 2020 that Google was working on “Next Audio-Chromecast integration”.
Protocol said Google provided a long-awaited update on this functionality in a closed-door event with its hardware partners. The company explained that it’s working on a method that will enable Nest speakers to act as wireless speakers for Android and Google TVs. It also said it’s planning on bringing this capability to third-party audio devices.
"Google is also actively working on bringing Fast Pair functionality to its own Pixel Buds, which will allow people to quickly pair wireless earbuds with their TV,” Protocol said in its report. “These audio features could launch on Google TV devices later this year or early next year."
Roku and Amazon currently both provide similar functionality with their streaming devices, while Apple has supported Apple TV audio output to AirPlay speakers for over a decade. Apple has also recently introduced a feature to let HomePods act as default speakers for the Apple TV 4K device.
Last but not least, Protocol said Google is looking to integrate Fitbit and Wear OS with Android and Google TVs, starting in 2023, and smart home controls, which will arrive in 2023/2024.
