Sky just announced its new Sky Glass Gen 2 TV – and a cheaper “Air” model is coming “later this year”
Sky has just lifted the curtain on its eagerly-anticipated second generation of the Sky Glass television, adding a brighter 4K screen and an extra built-in speaker to its "all-in-one" set.
This is the first time Sky has made physical changes to its TV in four years, since it launched in 2021. However, it has continually refined and upgraded the interface and usability of the product with software updates. We’ve highly recommended the Sky Glass as one of the best affordable TVs tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute, with a score of 86/100 in our rigorous tests.
At the launch event, Sky said that 90% of customers are now choosing Sky Stream or Sky Glass – products that both offer Sky’s expansive range of content over the internet – instead of a satellite dish.
What's new about the Sky Glass Gen 2?
On the outside, the design of the new Sky Glass looks almost identical to the previous version. On the inside, though, it has an improved 4K “Quantum Dot” display that supports high dynamic range (HDR) content and will provide brighter and more vivid imagery, with improved viewing angles.
The TV should also sound much more immersive, with an extra speaker (its predecessor had six speakers, and it now has seven) for a powerful and cinematic Dolby Atmos experience, with richer bass and improved vocal clarity.
Sky said that “80% of people don’t have a soundbar” to improve the audio quality of their telly, so having this kind of comprehensive surround sound system built-in (and, crucially, without the need for extra wiring) is a big upgrade over most mid-range TVs on the market.
Just like the original Sky Glass, this TV is made from anodised aluminium and designed to be as much a piece of furniture as it is a tech item. It's available to buy now (from 12 February) in the new colours of Volcanic Grey, Arctic Silver and Atlantic Blue. In person, the grey is closer to a black, so it might be simpler to see these colours as black, white and blue, and they come with colour-matched woven mesh material covering the speakers.
The pricing for the Sky Glass Gen 2 remains the same as the outgoing first-generation TV, and it's available either as an upfront payment or over 24 or 48-month plans. These start from £14 a month for the 43-inch size, but they increase in cost once you begin to factor in the entertainment packages.
So, that same 43-inch Sky Glass Gen 2, with the addition of a 24-month subscription to Sky Essential TV, would cost you £29 per month. For more pricing details and plans, check on Sky’s website.
Glass Gen 2
Sky Glass Air will be a more affordable TV from Sky
As it announced the new Sky Glass Gen 2, the company also revealed a cheaper “Sky Glass Air” lineup that will also come in 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch sizes. It will feature a similar display panel and run on the same operating system as the more premium Sky Glass but will lack the built-in soundbar.
It will have a bright 4K Quantum Dot HDR screen, stay in sync with other Sky TV devices, and will be offered in three colour options of dark Carbon Grey, Cotton White and Sea Green.
We don’t yet know a lot more about the Sky Glass Air lineup and while we’ve seen the TVs at the event, pricing details and an official release date aren’t available yet. At the moment, all we know is that it’s “launching later this year”.
Sky OS brings all TV content into one place
The Sky Glass TV runs on the Sky OS platform. This is the new name for Entertainment OS in the UK, and it brings together all your programmes and films from multiple different sources, whether you’re watching on Sky itself, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 or other streaming platforms. Sky OS is the same interface used on the current Sky Glass or Sky Stream, so if you’re used to this, you won’t see a difference with the new model.
What it does have is a couple of upgrades to improve your viewing experience, like the ability to automatically switch its viewing mode depending on what you’re watching. For example, it will make changes to the picture and sound if it knows you’re watching sports, or try to deliver the most cinematic experience on movie night.
It otherwise brings all your streaming content into one place, so you spend less time searching and more time watching. When you find things you want to watch, you can add them to personal “playlists” for each member of the family.
The Sky Glass TV also has voice control to help you find what to watch, and it will even help with turning the TV on or off, or finding your remote control when you can’t remember where you left it!
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