Apple is on the hunt for a senior engineer to develop an Android version of its TV+ app, indicating the iPhone manufacturer’s intent to move its streaming service to a competing platform.
Among the list of vacancies published by Apple in recent days, the company seeks an individual who will helm the development of “new exciting features” and “aid in creating an app that millions of people will use to watch TV and sports broadcasts”. However, Apple’s official representatives declined to comment on the matter.
This development suggests that Apple seeks to make inroads into the streaming market, setting aside its rivalry with Android to court new users. While it’s uncommon for Apple to develop applications for competing platforms, the advent of an Android version of TV+ could attract new users, which is likely the main goal of Apple.
Concerning the TV+ service, it launched in 2019 and marketed itself as a contender to similar platforms like Netflix and Disney+. The company invests heavily in creating exclusive content but evaluating the success of TV+ is rather complicated. The reason is that Apple has never disclosed the platform’s user base or revenue generated.
Android could potentially be a source of a vast user base. Although Apple dominates the premium smartphone segment, Android has more users worldwide. Approximately 3 billion devices run on this operating system, while Apple has about 2.2 billion active devices, with most of those being iPhones. Given Apple’s longstanding ambition to bring the TV+ service to other platforms, the development of an Android app seems logically consistent.
