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TCL announces a raft of new HomeKit, AirPlay 2-compatible televisions

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Tcl Airplay and Homekit Tv
Tcl Airplay and Homekit Tv (Image credit: FlatpanelsHD)

What you need to know

  • TCL has announced three new series of TV that will include support for HomeKit and AirPlay 2.
  • The new C735, C835, and C935 will only be available in Europe.
  • Availability is set for April or May but no pricing has been shared so far.

Electronics firm TCL has announced a number of new televisions that will all be powered by Google TV but come with support for Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit built in.

The new televisions were first reported by FlatpanelsHD which was able to get some hands-on time with them. The new C735, C835, and C935 series start at just 43 inches in size and come with a range of features. Two of those features are the aforementioned HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support.

The addition of HomeKit support will allow people to add their TV to HomeKit scenes as well as use Siri to control it. AirPlay 2 means that people will be able to throw their video, music, and other media from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac and have it appear on-screen. None of this will require additional cabling and it's all pretty sweet. The TV will also support Google Chromecast and Google Home, giving users the best of both worlds and the ability to use the same TV should they ever switch ecosystems.

It is worth noting that TCL's Google TVs – like Sony's – also support Chromecast and Google Home meaning that you get both Apple and Google's casting and home automation features in the same package.

TCL told FlatpanelsHD that the new TV offerings will go on sale in Europe in April and May, although full pricing hasn't yet been made available.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
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Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.