Google is reportedly making some changes to Android TV and Google TV, with plans to increase the gap between new software releases from one year to two. That will mean a much longer wait for TV software updates in the future, if the reports are correct.
In addition, Google is also said to be planning some adjustments to its hardware specifications for Android TV and Google TV devices, reducing its minimum RAM requirements on the former, while increasing them on the latter.
Android Authority reports that Google is planning to shift Android TV and Google TV to a two-year update schedule and that it will skip the Android TV 15 release, due to launch next year, entirely.
We’ve seen that happen before, when Google skipped Android 13 and moved its TV operating system from Android 12 directly to Android 14, though that was said to be just a one-off at the time. However, now it seems Google is making biennial releases its official strategy.
To recap, Android TV is the version of the Android operating system that’s customized for TVs, and Google typically releases a new version of the software shortly after updating the main Android software, which is designed for mobile devices.
Android Authority says Google announced the changes to Android TV’s release schedule privately to a select bunch of hardware makers at this year’s Android TV partner conference. As part of the change, it will skip the Android 15 update and wait until the arrival of Android 16 in 2026.
Android Authority says it asked Google to confirm the report, but the company responded that it has “nothing to share” about Android TV’s future release cadence.
If the reports are true, it will mean that Google is moving in the opposite direction to many of its rivals. The likes of Samsung and LG have both said they’re switching to annual updates of their respective TV operating systems, Tizen and webOS.
Apple too also appears to have accelerated its release cadence, with multiple tvOS updates announced each year, though it still pushes new tvOS versions once annually.
While some might feel disappointed at the slowing rate of updates, Google’s reported reasoning is logical enough. The main Android platform is designed for smartphones, which typically enjoy a much faster pace of innovation. As such, Android needs annual updates to keep pace with smartphone maker’s hardware improvements.
On the other hand, the pace of TV development tends to be a lot slower, with very incremental gains each year, which means there’s less need for new software to take advantage of the latest innovations.
In addition, the Android TV platform is based on the open-source Android project, and it doesn’t get all of the funky new features found in the smartphone version.
For Android and Google TV owners, the slower release schedule shouldn’t be too much of a concern, so long as Google at least continues to push out regular security updates and bug fixes, which seems likely.
However, it’s worth noting that some Google TVs may not get an upgrade ever again, for the company is also set to increase the minimum specifications for hardware that runs the platform.
According to a second report from Android Authority, Google has decreed that devices must have a minimum of 2GB of RAM to receive the next version, whenever it does arrive.
If so, that would discount the first generation of Chromecast with Google TV dongles, as they don’t have sufficient RAM available. The latest Google TV Streamer does meet the specifications, however, so that should eventually be updated to Android 16.
On the other hand, Google is reducing the RAM requirements for Android TV devices. According to the same report, new 1080p Android TV devices will only need 1GB of RAM, down from the previous requirement of at least 1.5GB, while 4K devices will need a minimum of 1.5GB, down from 2GB.
The changes suggest Google wants to more clearly differentiate Android TVs from Google TVs, with the latter software being reserved for higher-end devices.
