A new ADT-4 might be coming soon
Android TV 13 was released just last week, but the software isn’t available yet on consumer Android TV boxes. In fact, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD), released in September, was the first Android TV box to launch with Android 12, and the 4K version got an update to Android 12 in October. The only hardware compatible with the newest version of Android TV right now is the ADT-3, a tiny streaming box made for developers. But the ADT-3 has been listed as out of stock for months, and now, 9to5Google reports the hardware has officially been discontinued — though a replacement may be on the horizon.
Manufactured by Askey for Google, the ADT-3 was the third in a line of Android TV boxes meant for developers to test their applications on the latest version of Android TV. It was announced in 2019 in conjunction with the release of Android TV 10, and went on sale in early 2020 for a modest $79. The box has been the only hardware where developers have been able to consistently test the most up-to-date version of Android TV for nearly three years. Askey has confirmed to 9to5Google that the hardware is no longer being manufactured.
Considering even the best Android TV boxes are notoriously slow to get major updates — again, Google’s own hardware only recently got Android 12, and Nvidia’s Shield TV boxes are currently on Android 11 — the ADT-3’s scarce availability and eventual discontinuation makes life a little more difficult for Android TV developers. Android TV 13 can be emulated in Android Studio (indeed, the second beta version was available exclusively for Android Studio), but as 9to5 notes, this method only allows for testing at resolutions of up to 1080p. The ADT-3 box supports 4K/HDR output.
Thankfully, Android TV devs might be getting a successor in the near future. Citing Android code changes and documentation that refers to an unreleased Android TV device as both ADT-4 and a Hybrid Google Developer Kit, 9to5Google reports the supposed upcoming official development hardware will be very similar to an existing Amlogic-based streaming box. The box in question, which costs $200, has features like a built-in mic and speaker, optical audio output, and a TV tuner, not to mention more powerful internals and more ample storage space than the now-retired ADT-3. 9to5 believes the new dev hardware will be made available sometime in 2023.
We’ve reached out to Google for comment, and we’ll update this story with any clarification we get.
