NVIDIA SHIELD TV & Xiaomi Mi Box Shown With Oreo – MWC 2018

Android Oreo is apparently in the works for a couple of older Android TV devices, including NVIDIA’s Shield TV and Xiaomi’s Mi Box, according to a tweet originating out of MWC 2018. In fact, the update seems to have been up and running on those devices during the event, which means they could be ready for the more general population sooner rather than later. That’s according to a Twitter post which showed off the devices running the new OS, as noted by a Reddit user under the handle “SockItToYa5.” Unfortunately, that original tweet – and subsequently, the image – is no longer available for some unknown reason. In any case, there are a couple of interesting points to be made about the update.

First, with regard to what the update is set to bring with it, there are a number of changes to Android TV devices that happen to receive it. Among those, apps in Android Oreo for Android TV will be installed as channels and are intended to also offer a video preview feature alongside that change. The feature allows users to browse apps just like they would with more traditional channels, including a thumbnail video showcasing what’s on when the “channel” is highlighted. Beyond that, the update should include a new way to access all apps on the system simply by long-pressing the menu key from anywhere on the TV to launch the app page. Of course, the entire OS also underwent some serious optimization as part of the whole process and things should also run a bit smoother as a result.

Another point of it interest is the fact that the Android Oreo update was shown running on NVIDIA’s 2015 variant of the NVIDIA SHIELD TV. While it isn’t unheard of for an older device to be updated, and the Nexus player is another 3-year-old Android TV device that has already received the update, it is less common for third-party hardware to be included. Xiaomi’s Mi Box, meanwhile, is newer but is also a surprising entry here since it still hasn’t technically received the previous Android Nougat update that was promised alongside its launch.