In what can only be described as a surprise announcement, Netflix has just released a tablet-optimized app for all Android tablet devices.
That’s right – Netflix is now available for every Android tablet. Every single one. That includes the Kindle Fire, which just started shipping yesterday.
“The new design is much more immersive and provides greater focus on the growing number of titles in the Netflix catalog. In fact, the new interface displays twice as many movies and TV shows as before, enabling you to discover even more titles you’ll love. Also, we’ve taken greater advantage of the tablet’s unique features, inviting you to swipe through rows of titles featuring larger artwork,” Netflix wrote in a statement on its official blog.
What’s also curious is that this update came to Android tablets first. The official Netflix app first hit the iPhone long before it ever started making its way to Android, and until now its Android presence was muddled at best.
Netflix had been releasing scattered and seemingly completely random updates to Android, adding support for a few smartphones and a tablet here and there.
To release a sweeping Android app like this is a completely different strategy and one that will no doubt be welcomed by Android users with open arms.
Netflix says the optimized tablet experience will be coming soon to the iPad, but bringing it to Android first may be a strong indication of just how much Android is starting to influence a landscape that used to be so immersed with iOS.
