Philips beefs up Smart TVs with Android and all its apps

Philips beefs up smart TVs with Android and all its apps
What? It's kind of an Android

Upgraded Smart TV software looks to be a bit of a thing at CES 2014, and Philips has chosen to follow the green-brick road by adding Android to its upcoming sets.

Slated to hit Europe and Russia some time between April and June 2014, the new Android-enriched TV sets will give users access to the compatible apps in Google Play as well as Philips' own existing Smart TV apps (which include things like iPlayer and catch-up TV in the UK, as well as some on-demand services, an EPG and music streaming).

Game on

Although we don't have a name, picture or any solid specs for the actual hardware that will launch with Android on board yet, Philips' Android line-up will use a "new powerful quad-core chip" which is intended to make your Google Play-based gaming experience all the better.

There's also the obvious benefit that Philips' upcoming TVs will work better with Android smartphones and tablets, although we're assured that iOS wireless sharing should still play nice with them too.

Maarten de Vries, CEO of TP Vision which owns Philips TV, says that 2014 will see most of its high-end sets come with the Android smarts, while "the majority of our Smart TVs will be Android powered" by 2015.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.