1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best small
4. Best mid-range
5. How to choose
6. How we test
Google might seem like a relative newcomer to the TV game, but it's actually had a TV software platform for well over a decade. Google TV launched in 2010, but was replaced in 2014 by Android TV. More recent TVs are now getting a modified Android TV user interface, which is also known as Google TV, though it's unrelated to Google's earlier effort of the same name.
Confused? We don't blame you.
Basically, Android TV is the operating system that comes preinstalled on TVs from the likes of Sony and Philips, and some of these run the new Google TV interface (as does the Google Chromecast with Google TV streaming device). And mighty fine it is, too, with multiple user profiles, the ability to connect to wireless speakers, improved storage management and speedier navigation.
But which Android TV / Google TV should you buy? Time to find out.
The quick list
The table below shows a quick breakdown of all the TVs in this list with a short summary of what they’re best at and why they’re worth your money. Want more detail? Use the skip links to go to each Android TV's in-depth entry, where we’ll say more about what it's like to use.
Best overall
Sony's A80L OLED was the surprise package of 2023 and the TV we most readily recommend thanks to its awesome performance-per-pound credentials.
Best small
Sony's first 42-inch OLED remains a little pricey even over a year into its lifespan, but it's the finest Android TV you can buy at this size.
Best mid-range
Exceptional subtlety, balance and naturalism, plus Sony's trademark sublime motion handling, make this the best Android TV around the middle of the market.
The best Android TVs in 2024
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best Android TVs in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
Best overall
✅ You like the idea of sound that comes from the screen: The A80L features Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio technology, which involves actuators that vibrate the whole screen in order to make sound.
✅ You want a beautifully balanced picture: No TV we've tested balances spectacle with cinematic authenticity in the way that the A80L does. Its picture is rewarding in every way.
❌ You’re determined to have the newest tech: The A80L features neither MLA nor QD-OLED panel technology. We'd strongly argue that doesn't matter, but those who must have the latest tech might want to look elsewhere.
❌ Gaming is life: The Sony A80L is a very good TV for gaming, but it only has two HDMI 2.1 sockets (one of which you may want to use for a soundbar or AVR) and it doesn't support Dolby Vision gaming.
💻 Sony XR-55A80L is the surprise of 2023, delivering spectacular but natural picture quality despite being a 'standard' OLED TV. ★★★★★
Why we recommend it
Just when you think you've got the measure of OLED, Sony proves there's life in the old dog yet. The A80L's picture stunned us in testing, artfully blending boldness with nuance. The audio is strong for a TV, and its skillset will be good enough for most.
Design and features: Design-wise, the A80L does nothing new. The actuator-based sound system makes it a bit chunkier than some rivals, and it looks very much like its predecessor, the A80K.
Only two of its four HDMI sockets feature the full HDMI 2.1 spec, and one of these doubles up on eARC duties, leaving you just one for full-fat gaming from a console or games PC. Dolby Vision is onboard for viewing content, but there's no Dolby Vision gaming.
Google TV has all the major apps, while 4K upscaling is improved by the XR Clear Image processor, which analyses the type of content it's displaying and optimises its settings accordingly.
Picture quality: Some TVs go bright and bold but lack subtlety, while others have more nuance but lack 'pop'. The A80L combines the two abilities seamlessly. You get the full dazzle from bright lights, but skin tones never look anything but authentic. Little details like the textures within tree bark are lovingly rendered.
But it has dynamism in spades, with the humungous contrast ratio painting a stark difference between light and dark. This helps give the image real depth and solidity, making it seem more lifelike and engaging.
Our one complaint? SDR content could have more dark detail. But it's a tiddler of a negative in an ocean of positives.
Sound: The A80L could use a bit more oomph in the bass department, but the upside is that it doesn't distort when pushed to high volumes. Overall, it's very impressive. The soundscape is spacious, but because the audio comes from the screen itself, sound effects are able to be placed with pinpoint precision.
Like all TVs, it will benefit from a soundbar or surround system. But for a non-flagship, it sounds very good indeed. If you need to wait a while until you have the funds for a soundbar, the A80L's audio will tide you over nicely.
Value for money: For a mid-range Sony TV, the A80L is quite competitively priced, especially now it's been discounted since launch. It is pricier than the LG C3 at the same size, but given its considerable abilities, it's still great value.
Read our Sony XR-55A80L review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Picture | A brilliant performance that combines the spectacular with the natural | ★★★★★ |
| Sound | Really good sound for TV but deeper bass would be nice | ★★★★☆ |
| Features | Generally good, but only having two HDMI 2.1 ports is disappointing | ★★★★☆ |
Best small
✅ Space is limited: This is Sony's first 42-inch OLED, saving space without compromising performance.
✅ You want great sound: The A90K features Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio technology, which involves actuators that vibrate the whole screen in order to make sound.
❌ Money is tight: Even over a year after launch, the A90K's price remains stubbornly high. There are much cheaper Android TVs at this size.
❌ You want a stunning picture: The Sony A90K's picture quality is astounding, but it's not quite as rich or vibrant as some. If naturalism is not your bag, this isn't the TV for you.
💻 Sony XR-42A90K was worth the wait. It’s stylish, with a sharp and detailed picture and very good sound for a TV this size. It’s very good for gamers, too. ★★★★★
Why we recommend it
Buying a sub-50-inch TV used to mean losing out on the kind of top-end features that would adorn the bigger models, but Sony, LG and Samsung all now sell smaller versions of their flagship sets – and the 42-inch A90K doesn’t disappoint. It has great sound, very good gaming features, and of course excellent picture quality, all in a package small enough to fit in most lounges.
Design and features: The A90K followed LG's C2 to be the second 42-inch OLED TV released. It's thicker and heavier than the C2, but more stylish, with a lower profile that can be raised to accommodate a soundbar.
Around the back are four HDMI ports – two of these are specified HDMI 2.1, making it good but not great for gamers with a soundbar and more than one console. But gamers will love the 4K 120Hz, VRR and ALLM features that these 2.1-specced sockets allow. Although despite supporting Dolby Vision, there's no Dolby Vision gaming mode. Strange.
It also has the HDR10 and HLG formats of HDR onboard, but not HDR10+. Dolby Atmos is on audio duties, alongside Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio technology, which uses actuators to vibrate the whole screen to make sound. Sony's Cognitive Processor XR powers the TV, while Google TV provides a slick and intuitive user interface.
Picture quality: The A90K produces a stunningly solid and deep image for a TV of this size. Sharpness and detail and exceptional – objects are rendered with razor-like precision while textures look wholly realistic.
Sony handles motion like no one else in the TV business, and the results are just as impressive at this smaller size. Sony knows just how much smoothing and sharpening to deploy to make it look as realistic as possible without the dreaded soap opera effect.
On the whole, the picture is balanced and natural, though at times it appears a touch subdued. It also occasionally crushes some dark detail in scenes that are otherwise quite bright.
Sound: Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio system employs actuators to vibrate the screen and create sound, effectively turning the screen into one big speaker. This allows Sony to pinpoint sound effects, so dialogue comes from characters' mouths, gunshots from the weapon's muzzle, and so on.
The effect is more pronounced on bigger screens, but it still works at this size. Audio is nicely spacious – expanding far beyond the confines of the screen – detailed, and dynamic. It lacks a little bass, but that's to be expected at this size, and is easily fixed with a soundbar.
Value for money: The A90K remains a little pricey, even over a year after it launched. There are much cheaper – and still very good – Android TVs at this size. But if you're after the best model at 42 inches, the premium is well worth it.
Read our Sony XR-42A90K review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Picture | Natural and detailed, with typically excellent motion | ★★★★★ |
| Sound | Very good for a TV this size, but slightly lacking in bass | ★★★★☆ |
| Features | Excellent, but loses a star for only two HDMI 2.1 ports | ★★★★☆ |
Best mid-range
✅ You want bang for buck: This TV delivers very good performance for a reasonable price.
✅ You love sports: Motion handling is one of the X85L's highlights, making it particularly well suited to fast moving content like sports and action films.
❌ Gaming is a priority: While its gaming features are strong, getting it set up correctly can be a pain, so casual – but frequent – gamers might look elsewhere.
💻 Sony KD-55A85L has a beautifully refined picture, making it very appealing for AV fans on a budget who don't want to compromise. ★★★★★
Why we recommend it
There are cheaper mid-range Android TVs available, but none can match the brilliance of the X85L. It's another solid entry in a range that delivers affordable TV smarts with predictably excellent performance.
Design and features: The X85L is a minimalist affair, with a barely-there frame that puts the screen very much front and centre. The blade-style feet can be positioned narrow or wide, depending on where you're placing your TV and if you need room for a soundbar.
Inside is Sony's X1 processor, which is very capable (especially at handling colour, backlighting, detail and motion), though it is getting on a bit. There are four HDMIs, two of which are HDMI 2.1 for gaming features like 4K 120Hz, ALLM and VRR, while Auto Tone Mapping lets your PS5 optimise its HDR output according to the exact model of TV.
The 2.1 HDMIs also support eARC technology, where the TV can pass out lossless Dolby Atmos soundtracks over HDMI to to eARC-compatible soundbars or AV receivers.
These gaming features are all welcome, but some do step on each others' toes, so you'll need to fiddle around a bit to get the best gaming performance.
Picture quality: The X85L has local dimming, which elevates it above previous TVs in the range. Contrast is given a nice boost, making a more realistic picture, and it's refreshingly free of the blooms and halos typical of local dimming systems. The screen does a decent job of soaking up reflections too, meaning you can watch on a bright day and still make out what's going on.
It handles transitions between light and dark scenes very well, too. In fact, it performs like a much more expensive TV than it is.
Colours are another highlight. In dark scenes, it retains impressively rich saturations, while light scenes manage to look vibrant by mid-range TV standards. With both light and dark scenes, the subtlety the TV is able to render colour shifts and blends is exceptional. And the motion? Even by Sony's standards, it's very good indeed for a TV of this price.
Downsides? Some bright highlights can lose a bit of shading information (known as 'clipping'). Occasionally a dark scene makes the TV's dimming zones lose stability. And bright HDR scenes can look a little soft. But these are minor niggles in a sea of positives.
Sound: Like its pictures, the X85L's sound is more about subtlety than aggression. It's detailed and clear, with a well-handled treble and undistorted bass. There could be a bit more low-end, but this is easily fixed by adding a soundbar.
Value for money: There are plenty of Android TVs that cost less than the X85L, but its local dimming system, VA panel and Sony's excellent motion handling make this the choice of serious AV fans at this level.
Read our Sony KD-55X85L review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Picture | Wonderful contrast for the money, with superb motion | ★★★★★ |
| Sound | Clean and clear, but could use more bass | ★★★★☆ |
| Features | Very good again, but gamers will need to fiddle with the menus | ★★★★☆ |
What we look for in an Android TV
How to choose
There's a huge amount to consider when choosing a new Android TV, but the biggest things are the money and space that you have available.
How big it is: Size really does matter with TVs. Are you looking for a cinema-like experience in your lounge? Then you need to get the biggest Android TV you can afford. If your budget is limited, it might even be worth sacrificing a little bit of picture quality and some next-gen features for a few extra inches of screen real estate.
Alternatively, you might have a specific size of TV in mind and an appetite for the best picture quality available. In that case, you need to prioritise performance and, if desired, next-gen features (more on which below).
Luckily, Android TVs are now available in a range of sizes, so you've got plenty of choice.
Picture quality: Whenever we look at a TV the first thing we check is picture quality. Having a decent panel is only one factor that informs this. The biggest decider, however, is how it's set up and what processing the company making the TV adds to it. That's why there are such big differences between every TV we test, even if many use the same panel.
Sound quality: Are you planning to combine your new TV with a dedicated sound system? You probably should, because most Android TVs sound only decent, and a picture that's amazing deserves sound that matches. That said, if you're determined to keep things neat and rely on the in-built speakers, check our reviews to make sure that they're good – there are some models that have very innovative and strong-sounding audio solutions.
Gaming features: If you're a gamer, it's also worth considering the next-gen gaming features of your prospective new TV. Xbox Series X and PS5 gamers can gain a competitive advantage on certain games if their TV supports 4K/120Hz, while VRR support can result in a smoother gameplay experience.
ALLM, meanwhile, ensures that you automatically get the best visual experience from both games and movies / TV shows. If you're a more casual gamer or not a gamer at all, you can pretty much disregard these features, and doing so will usually save you a lot of cash.
How we test
How we test Android TVs
Testing a TV is a long and complex process because a modern TV simply does so much. Not only does it need to handle a variety of content resolutions – standard-def, 1080p, 4K and sometimes 8K – and both standard dynamic range and high dynamic range (the latter in a number of formats), all of which need to be specifically tested, it also has a sound system with various advanced settings and a full smart platform. A TV is an all-in-one device in the best sense, but that also makes it a challenging review proposition.
As part of our testing process we manually check that every major app – from Netflix to All 4, Prime Video to Spotify – is not only present, but also outputting in the video and sound formats that it should. Just because there's a Disney+ app doesn't necessarily mean it's working in Dolby Vision and/or Dolby Atmos. In fact, in many recent cases it hasn't been.
We also connect both a PS5 and Xbox Series X in order to establish which advanced gaming features are and aren't supported, and on which of the TV's HDMI ports. Is 4K 120Hz supported? How about VRR? Is there a Dolby Vision game mode? Is there an HGiG preset for more accurate HDR tone mapping? We check all of these things, and measure input lag using a Leo Bodnar device.
We then test the TV's picture quality using a huge variety of content, from old DVDs to the latest 4K Blu-rays and plenty of streamed movies and TV shows in between. Every TV is tested against the best model at its price and size – we have a stockroom packed full of Award-winners for this very purpose.
We don't accept the out-of-the-box settings that a TV comes in either. While we intentionally don't go down the route of professional calibration (you shouldn't have to have your TV professionally calibrated in order to get the best out of it), we do spend hours adjusting settings using a mixture of test patterns and real-world content until we are sure we're getting the best out of a TV so that it has the best chance to shine.
While we almost always advise that a new TV is combined with a dedicated sound system such as a soundbar or AV amplifier, many people still prefer to stick with their flatscreen's built-in speakers, so we thoroughly test these too, using a wide variety of movie and music content and with great attention spent to the TV's many processing modes and individual settings.
We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in Bath and Reading, where our team of expert reviewers do all of our testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency. What's more, all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer, again helping to ensure consistency and avoid any personal preference.
The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics.
From all of our reviews, we choose the best products to feature in our Best Buys. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended above, or on any other Best Buy page, you can be assured you are getting a What Hi-Fi? approved product.
- Looking for a bargain? Here are the best cheap TVs
- Hardcore gamer? These are the very best gaming TVs
- Need a certain size? We've rounded-up the best 55-inch TVs
- Need something bigger? What about the best 65-inch TVs
- Want a future-proof TV? Here are the best 8K TVs
