Telly’s free, ad-supported TV runs Android under the hood

Ben Schoon | Jun 5 2023 - 7:28 am PT

Android powers an absolutely huge variety of hardware, sometimes in places you don’t fully expect it. Another device is now being added to that list, with Telly’s free, ad-supported TV now confirmed to be running Android at its core.

Telly, announced last month, is a television set that’s free to its users. The hardware itself is handed out for free and subsidized by ads that run on the set’s second display – yes, it’s a dual-screen TV.

‘Telly’ is a free dual-screen TV powered by ads

The onboard TellyOS itself is rather limited, with a focus on a few key apps and streaming content, but no mainstream streaming apps. YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and others require that you plug in another streaming device, and there’s even a free Android TV – not Google TV – dongle included with the device for that purpose.

In a hands-on with Telly, The Verge was able to uncover a bit more about how the device works. In that, it’s confirmed that “TellyOS” is a custom version of Android. That controls both of the displays, with the same processor controlling both as well.

And it’s noted that this Android-based OS is used to do some neat things with the two displays. Users can apparently watch content on the main display while other apps, such as games, are on the smaller one. But, of course, the main purpose of that display is just to show ads, constantly, even when you have another device plugged into the set.

The Verge’s full hands-on dives into some burning questions about Telly, such as concerns with how the company will use the customer data that makes a free TV feasible and more specifics on how it all works.