The Orchard Expands: Is APPLE TV Plus Blossoming onto Android Devices?

And in a digital orchard where there’s never been more diversity of fruit for Android and other users to pick, in a twist worthy of any high-concept Hollywood film, the company whose whole approach is walled garden has branched out over the wall– straight into the Android ecosystem: with its own TV Plus app. So what’s going on? Peel back the story, and let’s figure out what it might mean for users on both sides of the mobile ecosystem.

APPLE Seeks Android Expertise for TV App Team

Apple posted a job ad for an Android software engineer. A sign many are taking to mean that Apple is eyeing its TV Plus app for Android smartphones. Bloomberg reported that the posting calls for an engineer to ‘design and architect a high-quality application on the Android platform’. That person’s work would ‘involve focusing on the streaming of high-quality video content’. That sounds an awful lot like the TV Plus service that Apple currently uses only on its own devices, blooming into the full light of day on Google’s operating system.

Why APPLE's Gaze Might Be Shifting Towards Android

Can you guess which company dominates the market for smartphones? If you guessed Apple, you’re partly right. The iPhone currently coordinates about half the smartphones sold in the US. But zoom out to a global frame and Android phones paint a different picture: more than 3 billion devices are active around the world with Google’s operating system installed. For Apple, the potential market for subscribers to its TV Plus service could be huge.

The APPLE of the Streaming World's Eye

Apple’s not skimping on resources when it comes to its original programming channel, TV Plus: acclaimed shows such as Ted Lasso and Severance have brought the streaming service many accolades. Offering TV Plus to Android also expands its potential viewership, which helps it loom larger within the cutthroat world of streaming.

TV Plus: A New Leaf on Other Devices

To some it may look surprising, but it’s not entirely out of character. The Apple TV Plus service is already available for Android. Even those who don’t own an Apple device can watch Apple Originals on Google’s Chromecast and smart TVs running Android, or on Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, Amazon Fire Stick, and even rival services such as Google TV and Samsung TV Plus. It’s another way of spreading your seeds in another garden.

Android Users: Soon to Enjoy the APPLE TV App?

The ability for Android smartphone owners to watch Apple TV Plus without owning an Apple device is a win for the increasing digitised world where divisions between competing mediums disappear in favour of consumer access and choice.

What's Next for APPLE TV Plus and Android?

The ball is indeed firmly in Apple’s court as speculation begins to heat up, and the announcement of an Apple TV Plus release for Android would confirm it. While there’s a good chance that Apple TV Plus will arrive on Android, this is not yet confirmed. In the meantime, Android users should keep their breath bated. If Apple TV Plus does indeed make the leap to Android, it would signify a shift in strategy for Apple from one that focuses on hardware exclusivity to something where the content itself, and the user engagement that comes with it, starts to matter more.

Understanding APPLE Inc.

At the end of this productive conversation, it is good to pause and reflect and appreciate the energy behind those innovations: Apple Inc. The company, which invented the smartphone, the tablet and other products, as well as many underlying technologies, continues to innovate in digital services (Apple TV Plus) with the same focus on design, quality and user experience that has made it one of technology’s trailblazers.

All in all, the possibility of an Apple TV Plus app on Android phones shows that we are now at a new place in the history of platform distribution and tentpole content. For consumers, it means an explosion of choice and an easing of access to quality content. As the technological landscape continues to transform itself, it may be that sharing and openness are the most successful ways for big tech to win the hearts and minds of the world’s citizenry.