While Android 13 made its debut on smartphones and tablets back in August of 2022, Google has been slow to bring the finalized update to the TV. Now, Android TV 13 is finally, actually here, but still in a limited capacity.
Google Officially Launches Android TV 13
In a quiet update to a developer page, Google has officially launched Android TV 13 as an actual piece of hardware. Google technically announced the formal launch of Android 13 for TVs late last year, but at the time it wasn’t available to download on even ADT-3.
ADT-3 Developer Dongle
As of February 1, the update is available for download from Google for anyone who has an ADT-3 developer dongle. Google said in a brief update on the page: Latest Update: The final release of Android 13 for TV is now available.
ADT-4 on the Horizon
The only device that can run this new version, however, is still ADT-3, which was discontinued quite some time ago. As we first reported in December, though, ADT-4 is likely on the horizon
Limited Availability
Of course, this won’t matter for most folks, as this change doesn’t mean the update will suddenly be available on Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, or any other Android TV OS devices.
Those updates are likely months away if they come at all. Generally speaking, Android TV system updates aren’t crucial to the end user’s experience, as most feature updates are delivered via app updates.
What’s New in Android TV 13?
The update mostly consists of behind-the-scenes improvements including changing to HDMI, input handling, audio, new accessibility features, and more. We broke down what was new last year.
Android TV 13 is Available for Google TV
Android TV 13 is available for both the Android TV experience as well as Google TV, which is quickly becoming the default for new hardware.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Android TV 13 has finally launched but is only available in a limited capacity to ADT-3 developer dongle users. The update includes behind-the-scenes improvements and is also available for Google TV. However, this update won’t be available on other Android TV OS devices for a while.