Funai Corporation this week showed off the Philips 24-inch Kitchen Android TV with built-in Google Assistant.
Built with kitchens in mind, the Google Assistant software gives users the same experience they might find with a Home Hub or other smart display. Android 8.0 Oreo software powers the unit, providing the full Android TV experience, making it a more robust device.
The 24-inch LCD screen is wrapped by a thin white bezel and a woven gray mesh cloth covers a pair of 8iwatt speakers. Minimalistic and stylish, it matches pretty much any decor. Also included are two HDMI ports and a far-field microphone which catches all of your voice commands.
Unlike other smart kitchen displays or tablets available, or on the horizon, the Philips 24-inch Kitchen Android TV can function as a stand-alone device. One can download additional apps via Google Play store, for example, or work with other devices through the HDMI ports.
We’re big fans of the way Google Assistant works with a display and found the Google Home Hub to be one of our favorite devices of 2018. Similarly, we’re in love with our NVIDIA Shield TV and the Android TV experience. Pairing the two experiences, in the kitchen, seems like a match made in heaven.
It’s not clear how much the Kitchen Android TV will run or when it will be made available. For now it appears that it’s simply a proof of concept or a tease of things to come.
The device falls somewhere in the space between smart displays and full-size Android TV experience. To that end, we could be looking anywhere from, say $200-$300 for the Philips Kitchen Android TV.
