Netflix now available on 4 out of 5 Android devices

It took several months, but Netflix for Android is now available to most Android smartphones and small tablets. The company updated its software in the Android Market and no longer limits the download to specific device models. Instead, any phone or tablet running Android 2.2 or 2.3 can now use the video streaming service.

I was tipped off on the update from Gotta Be Mobile and verified it in the Android Market. The timing was nearly perfect for me personally. I got tired of waiting for official Netflix support and just installed an unofficial build earlier this very week on my 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, which runs Android 2.3.

Now that there’s an official version direct from Netflix, I’ve installed it to ensure future updates, as the small slate with integrated 3G and Wi-Fi makes a great, portable Netflix machine.

When Netflix first launched for Android in May of this year, it only supported a few handsets while Netflix was testing its app on individual models. The company either sped up its testing efforts or at this point has simply tested enough on various Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices to be comfortable with a blanket launch. And for all of the valid talk on Android fragmentation, this means that Netflix is capable of running on roughly 81.9 percent of all Android devices now.

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Now playing on more Android devices: Netflix

Netflix has certified more Android devices for its mobile application today, adding support for a number of handsets and tablets powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor. This follows the May launch of Netflix for Android, which initially worked on just a handful of smartphones. Instead of rolling out its software for all Android phones, Netflix is testing the app on specific handset models and mobile processors to ensure secure and proper content playback.

Android owners can hit Google’s Android Market to see if their handset is now supported, but here’s the current list as of today:

Casio G’zOne Commando C771 with Android 2.2
HTC Droid Incredible, Droid Incredible 2, EVO, EVO 3D, G2, Thunderbolt
Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet
LG Revolution
Motorola Atrix, Droid, Droid X, Droid X2, Droid 2, Droid 3, Droid Charge
Samsung Epic 4G, Galaxy S, Galaxy S 4G, Fascinate, Nexus S, Nexus S 4G

One quick unofficial addition to the list: Lenovo introduced two new Android tablets today, the IdeaPad K1 and ThinkPad tablet. Although the Android Market only shows that one of the two tablets supports Netflix, Lenovo says that both do.

I understand Netflix’s requirement to test each device and I’m glad to see this isn’t taking too long to do, although there are hundreds of handsets to go yet. When it was announced in February that Netflix software would initially be supported on Qualcomm Snapdragon devices, I was concerned about chip fragmentation issues. Consumers don’t want to worry about which chip is powering their mobile device. Instead, they’re buying into a software platform with a smartphone or tablet, and they expect apps to run on the platform.

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