Google all but admits Android TV is its neglected 'other' operating system in this week's news

Android TV is simple to explain — it's a version of Android that's been optimized for the big screen — but things get confusing when you throw Google TV into the mix. Like Samsung's One UI and TouchWiz before it, Google TV is an OEM skin built atop Android TV, sprinkling an extra layer of Googley features over what was once the company's one and only TV OS. It's the experience you'd get on Chromecasts and select third-party TV sets, and now it's more than half of the branding for the company's flagship set-top box, the Google TV Streamer .

The week in mobile saw Google give its namesake TV OS a vote of confidence over its older offering by doubling the RAM differential between it and Android TV. We also got wind of Android 16's release date, even as Android 15 was just getting its first security patch. And the Galaxy S25 series reared its slim, sparkly head — but the biggest Android news might have been Google's Pixel series seemingly catching on with the general public.

Last week's roundup

The Android rumor mill turns its calendar over to 2026 in last week's news

Plus the SoC race heats up and Android gets a nemesis

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Google all but admits Android TV is its 'other' OS

Now Google TV is my best friend

On Wednesday, AOSP expert Mishaal Rahman uncovered some big changes coming to Android TV: Now, Google is only requiring 1GB of RAM for OEMs looking to use the OS in their HD offerings, down from 1.5GB. The minimum count for 4K devices was also lowered, from 2GB down to 1.5GB. Meanwhile, Google TV devices maintain a higher 2GB minimum.

On one hand, Google TV does represent an extra layer of software, which could justify the elevated requirements — but on the other, more pragmatic hand, this could be interpreted as Google delineating its TV offerings. If a TV manufacturer wants to use one of these operating systems, it's now encouraged to look to Android TV for its cheaper offerings, while saving Google TV for its more premium products.

Meanwhile, it seems like Google is moving to a biennial release cycle for major Android TV OS updates. Considering Google TV uses Android TV as its base, these same changes should apply to Google TV devices as well.

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New requirements say Google TV needs twice as much RAM as Android TV

Google to ease Android TV 14 hardware requirements

Galaxy S25 leaks are looking slim, svelte... and sparkly?

Who says Samsung has too many phones anyway?

We expected the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, but the Z Fold 6 Special Edition came out of nowhere with its slimmer build and almost-invisible display crease. It appears Samsung will do something similar with its Galaxy S25 series, bringing the three usual suspects along with a potential slimmer fourth model. We're not sure what to call it yet, but the name Galaxy S25 Slim seems like it might fit.

This week, we learned that the slimmer S25 could still sport an Ultra camera, and that all the new models could finally support seamless Android updates. And after seeing some of the S25 series' color options in recent weeks, including two called Sparkling Green and Sparkling Blue, we also got a look at the Samsung-exclusive colorways — except early renders of those Sparkling colors aren't looking very sparkly.

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Samsung's Galaxy S25 Slim may pack an Ultra camera in a sleek body

A 200MP primary shooter?

Android 15 gets its first patch on Pixels

Swift November security updates bring timely December Feature Drops

Last month's Pixel firmware update brought the stable channel onto Android 15. This week, Verizon let it slip early, then Google sent out the first batch of bug fixes and security patches for the new OS on Pixel phones. Most of the impactful changes are specific to the Pixel 9 series, but users on older Google devices get a handful of goodies too.

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Google's first Android 15 patch for Pixels is now live

Pixel 9 series owners won't want to miss this

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Android 16 gets a likely release date

Mark your calendars for June 3

Last week, Google let the world know that Android 16 was coming much sooner than expected — the only timeframe given, however, was simply "Q2 2025." This week, the specific date leaked: We're now expecting a June 3 release for Google's next OS. Unlike this year's Android 15 release, which hit AOSP weeks ahead of making its way onto any devices, the report says Android 16 will start rolling out to Pixel users on day one.

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If you're an Android fan, you might want to mark your calendar for June 3

Android 16 may drop on this date

Google has a certified hit on its hands with the Pixel 9

Double-digit market share is nothing to scoff at

When the first set of Q3 smartphone sales figures were published by independent researchers, there was a pronounced spike in Google's Pixel sales. We thought it might be a fluke at first, but more reports continued to pour in this week, and they all show Google with a double-digit percentage of the US smartphone market share for the first time ever.

Shipping 12.9% of North America's smartphones might not seem like a lot next to Apple's 51.3%, but for a brand that had yet to capture 5% of those same shipments, it represents a huge spike in interest for Google's Pixel 9 series. Maybe it has something to do with the ridiculous deals Google has on its newest phones right now (I know my family accounts for at least one of those shipments with my wife's negative $13 Pixel 9 Pro), but whatever the reason, strong Pixel sales figures are a great sign for Android on the whole.

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The Pixel 9's strong sales numbers could be the key to Android's survival

Here's why the Pixel's success matters

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