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OnePlus TV is now official. Along with the announcement also came confirmation of its features.
Interestingly, this also included a confirmation of a feature that’s missing from OnePlus TV. One that’s likely to affect a number of buyers. Netflix.
OnePlus has now confirmed OnePlus TV will not support Netflix at launch, but says it will in the future.
No OnePlus TV Netflix support
While confirmed at the event, OnePlus (understandably) did not spend much time focusing on this point. Due to this, it remains officially unclear why there’s no Netflix support included.
OnePlus was quick to point out that this will change in the future although was not so quick to explain how long OnePlus TV buyers will have to wait.
The lack of information on this would seem to suggest that OnePlus is also unaware of how long the delay will be.
This also explains why there’s no Netflix button on the OnePlus TV remote control. Normally, this is a guaranteed addition to the remote for Android TV devices, but in the case of OnePlus TV it has been replaced with a Prime Video button.
It should be noted the button itself is not a major concern. Although that’s one of the requirements Netflix sets out for certified products, companies don’t have to include a button if they meet the rest of the requirements.
A premium price without Netflix
One of the most anticipated OnePlus TV details was the price. The company had already explained this would be an expensive TV and that’s now been confirmed.
Technically, there are two versions of the TV: OnePlus TV Q1 and OnePlus TV Q1 Pro.
The standard model lacks a soundbar but sees the price drop to under $1000. The Pro model with soundbar is priced at roughly $1,400. It is worth noting these are converted price as OnePlus has yet to announce U.S. availability or pricing.
At these prices, it remains to be seen how much the lack of Netflix will affect initial sales. If buyers take OnePlus at its word, then the lack of Netflix over a short period of time might not be that off-putting.
However, if the support takes longer than OnePlus anticipates (presumably, it is already taking longer than expected), then it might not only affect sales, but also leave a sour taste in the mouths of those who have already purchased.
For example, Xiaomi has gone through a similar issue in the last year with its Mi TV products also lacking Netflix support in India.
In Xiaomi’s case, rectifying that has taken much longer than expected. Mi TV support for Netflix was only very recently announced – and not for all Mi TV models.