When it comes to TVs, we often overlook usability for visual quality, because we can get used to bad UI. But there’s really no reason you have to, as the two aspects are not mutually exclusive. Cue the entrance of Android TVs in the market, and one we’ve had demoed to us recently is the Sharp UE630X Android 4K TV. Here’s our initial outlook.
Well Designed
As far as televisions go, Sharp’s UE630X Android TV doesn’t really look all that special. But while it’s not going to turn your entertainment rack into something fancy, but its understated design is functional. What I liked best is that Sharp managed to make the bezel incredibly thin, which makes the actual size of the TV just a touch bigger than the screen. There’s plenty of ports as well, so it’ll be able to handle having multiple devices connected to it.
At 65-inch, it’s a large TV so it has a good deal of heft to it. That’s why it’s important for the stand to be solid and stable, especially for those who don’t like drilling holes to wall-mount TVs. I gave it a few nudges and found that it didn’t budge (pun unintended), so it shouldn’t be toppling from anything other than a strong push.
That Friendly Droid
Being based on Android, the User Interface contains many familiar elements. However, even though we see items like Android apps, the UI is not EXACTLY like the one used for your typical Android mobile devices we use. It does require the use of a Google account via Gmail, just like any Android smart device. You get two types of remote controllers to use with the TV, one with the capability of activity the voice search feature built-into the TV. That was definitely the handiest feature I’ve seen thus far.
So far, so good
Though the first round of hands on was just a few minutes, the UE630X would quickly make it feel like you’ve been using it for a long time. Due to the UI being based on Android, it’s definitely easy to get used to it and I believe that’s its number one advantage. We’re in the midst of doing the full review as well, so for readers who want to know how well it performs, do wait for that.
