TCL Brings Its Budget 3-Series Android Smart TVs To The US

In 2014, TCL launched its Roku smart TVs in the United States, something it is building upon with the arrival of its smart TVs running Android. This is the first time TCL will offer Android smart TVs in the US, giving consumers on a budget another option for an inexpensive smart TV. The lineup features TCL 3-Series models packing the Android TV platform.

Roku dominated the US market, introducing many consumers to streaming video as their primary source of entertainment. Amazon's Fire TV platform swooped in as a solid competitor and in the years since, US consumers have largely had only two budget smart TV options: Fire Edition smart TVs or Roku OS smart TVs. Android TV remains less popular, but that may slowly change with the arrival of low-cost Android smart TVs.

On Friday, TCL announced that it is bringing its 3-Series with Android TV models to the US where consumers can now order them from Best Buy. Both options come at cheap prices, but there are some big compromises — for one thing, the new offerings are only 1080p HD, not 4K. As well, they are available in only two sizes: 32-inch and 40-inch.

As expected, these models have the Android TV platform baked in, enabling users to directly access Google Assistant and the company's various apps, including YouTube. As well, the platform supports all of the major (and many of the minor) streaming video apps, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and more.

Beyond that, these TVs have Chromecast built-in, meaning users can directly cast content from their phones and tablets, no third-party Chromecast dongle necessary. The TCL 3-Series 1080p Android TV is available exclusively from Best Buy in 32-inch and 40-inch sizes for $129.99 USD and $199.99 USD, respectively.