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| Google could launch ‘Nexus TV’ Android |
Google isn’t giving up its living room ambitions.
The company is said to be working on a “Nexus TV” device that will run
Android, stream video from services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, and
play a selection of video games. The rumor comes from The Information‘s
Amir Efrati, who cites an anonymous Google employee. The device is said
to be ready for launch as soon as the first half of next year,
according to the report.
Rumors of a Google-made Android set top box go back to July of this year, when The Wall Street Journal reported that
such a device was demoed by Andy Rubin behind closed doors at the 2013
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sources told the paper at the
time that the box included a Kinect-like motion sensor and could be
controlled with an Android smartphone. Today’s report from The Information corroborates
these details (though a motion sensor is not mentioned), and adds that a
purpose-built touchpad remote could be included with the set-top box.
Google reportedly showed off a version of the box to developers as
recently as this fall.
It’s said that the device will not support live
broadcast, which would mean Google could avoid the hassle of trying to
bring traditional content providers on board. That’s a task that’s so
far proved impossible for other companies: Intel abandoned its
efforts to launch an internet set-top box after failing to secure such
deals, and it’s rumored that an Apple television device has been delayed
for similar reasons. If the Nexus TV reports are accurate, Google seems
to be pursuing a similar strategy as Amazon, which is rumored to have a
set-top box of its own set for next year.
Google has launched a number of products to attempt
to gain a foothold in the living room, starting with the ill-fated (but
still living) Google TV operating system that manufacturers built into
smart TVs and other devices. It later announced the expensive Nexus
Q (which never officially went on sale), and this year it began selling a
small HDMI dongle called the Chromecast, which streams from just a few
services and costs $35. The latter has seen some success, but it’s a
device with a simple feature set. A fully-fledged Nexus TV set-top box
that runs Android would be in a different category — though today’s
report suggests it will be “aggressively priced.”
Via: The Verge
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