Video Conferencing & Meeting Rooms
Android vs Windows Interactive Displays: Are Businesses Choosing the Wrong Platform?
Some are. The usual mistake is not picking Android or Windows, but picking the platform by price and only later finding out what it cannot do. Android boards are simpler and cheaper to run. They suit BYOD rooms, classrooms and standard Teams or Zoom meetings. Windows boards cost more, but in Microsoft Teams Rooms they unlock features Android does not have, such as Front Row, breakout rooms, multi-camera and Defender for Endpoint, and a support life that lasts as long as the device can take Windows' annual updates, rather than ending on a fixed certification date. Many boards can do both: the Yealink MeetingBoard Pro runs Android 13 and takes a Windows OPS module, and Huawei IdeaHub adds Windows through OPS. Both are price on request at SourceIT. On the Android side, the LG CreateBoard 65TR3DQ runs Android 14 with Google EDLA for S$2,587.50 (listed 31 Oct 2026).
What does Microsoft say differs in Teams Rooms?
| Feature | Teams Rooms on Windows | Teams Rooms on Android |
|---|---|---|
| Front Row layout, breakout rooms, overflow join | Yes | No |
| Multi-camera send, Spatial Audio, People Recognition | Yes | No |
| Edge browser on touch boards, Miracast, 21:9 front of room | Yes | No |
| Defender for Endpoint, tenant restrictions | Yes | No |
| Whiteboard without a meeting, from the console | No | Yes |
| Meeting controls on touch front-of-room displays | No | Yes |
| Dual screen, live captions, direct guest join to Meet, Zoom and Webex | Yes | Yes |
| Support horizon | Windows 11 IoT Enterprise or Enterprise on the annual channel (LTSC and Pro are not supported); each annual version gets 36 months of updates, and Windows 25H2 is the recommended version | Certification tied to the Android version; Android 13 devices end 15 Aug 2028, plus 2 years of app support |
From Microsoft Learn: Teams Rooms and panels feature comparison (updated 13 Oct 2026), Teams Rooms on Android certified devices (27 Jul 2026), Teams Rooms app version support (19 Aug 2026) and Windows 11 release information (28 Oct 2026).
Why do businesses choose Android?
- Price. The OS and compute are built into the panel, so there is no PC module to buy.
- Simplicity. Android boards behave more like appliances. They run one meeting app and leave less to configure than a Windows PC.
- Google apps on EDLA boards. Google EDLA certification means the board ships with licensed Google Mobile Services, Google Play and Play Protect, and passes Google's compatibility tests. Vendors describe regular security updates. We found no primary Google document setting a fixed patch schedule, so ask the vendor what it commits to.
- Management. Teams Android devices now enrol through Intune's AOSP device management. Vendors add their own clouds: Yealink's YMCS, MAXHUB Pivot and Huawei IdeaManager.
Why do businesses choose Windows?
- Feature depth in Teams Rooms, as the table shows.
- Familiar security tools. Microsoft's Teams Rooms security guidance lists Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 on by default, optional BitLocker, Defender and a locked-down kiosk account. Intune compliance on Windows can check BitLocker, Secure Boot, TPM and Defender.
- Any Windows application. CAD viewers, line-of-business software and full desktop Office work on a Windows board when it runs a standard Windows image.
- No fixed end date. Teams Rooms on Windows stays supported while the device can move to each new annual Windows version, which gets 36 months of updates on the Enterprise and IoT editions. Older hardware that cannot take Windows 11 has to be replaced, as Windows 10 rooms found in October 2025.
Android buys simplicity and a lower price. Windows buys features and flexibility. Neither is wrong; choosing without checking is.
What are OPS and SDM, and why do they matter?
Intel's Open Pluggable Specification, published in 2010, standardised a slot-in PC module for displays. An OPS slot lets an Android board take a Windows PC later, and lets the PC be replaced without replacing the panel. Intel's newer Smart Display Module (SDM) does the same job in a smaller format: SDM-S is 60 x 100 mm and SDM-L is 175 x 100 mm. Not every vendor uses the standard. MAXHUB's MT71 is a proprietary "pluggable PC module", while Yealink and Huawei use OPS slots. Yealink lists MCore OPS-T and OPS-G2T modules as Teams-certified for MeetingBoard. Upgradable compute is one reason a board can outlive its first operating system. See Are Interactive Displays Becoming Giant Expensive Tablets?
Which platform do popular boards use?
- Android: LG CreateBoard TR3DQ (Android 14, EDLA), Samsung WAFX-P (Android 15, EDLA), Avocor E50 (Android 13, EDLA), Yealink MeetingBoard Pro (Android 13, Teams Rooms and Zoom).
- Windows: MAXHUB XBoard V7 (MAXHUB OS on Windows) and MAXHUB XBoard for Teams Rooms (Windows 11 IoT).
- Neither: Samsung The Flip runs Tizen 9.0. Huawei IdeaHub runs HarmonyOS, with Windows through OPS.
How should you decide?
- List the Teams features you need. If Front Row, multi-camera or Defender for Endpoint matters, choose Windows.
- Check the support date for the exact model and OS version on Microsoft's certified list.
- Prefer boards with an OPS or SDM slot if you may need Windows later.
- Count the management tools. One console for all rooms beats a mix. See How to Manage 100 Conference Room Devices.
- Plan updates. On either platform, updates can change room behaviour. See Your Next Software Update Could Break Your Meeting Room.
Buying in Singapore
SourceIT supplies Android boards including the LG 65TR3DQ (S$2,587.50) and Avocor E50 AVE-6550 (S$3,728.05), listed 31 Oct 2026. The Samsung WA65FX-P is listed at S$4,342; ask us about availability. The following are price on request: the Yealink MeetingBoard 65 Pro with the MCore OPS G2 Windows module, the Windows-based MAXHUB XBoard V7 V6550 and V655T for Teams Rooms, and the MAXHUB MT71E PC module. Browse Teams Room Solutions and Smart Interactive Displays. For a quotation, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Android or Windows better for an interactive display? Android is simpler and cheaper and suits standard meetings and classrooms. Windows unlocks more Teams Rooms features and runs desktop software.
Which Teams Rooms features are Windows-only? Microsoft lists Front Row, breakout rooms, multi-camera send, Spatial Audio, People Recognition, Miracast, Defender for Endpoint and tenant restrictions, among others.
How long are Android Teams Rooms boards supported? Certification is tied to the Android version. Android 13 devices are certified until 15 August 2028, and Microsoft supports the Teams app for two years after that.
What is an OPS slot? A slot for a plug-in PC module, based on Intel's Open Pluggable Specification. It lets you add or replace a Windows PC without replacing the display.
What does Google EDLA certification mean? The display ships with licensed Google Mobile Services, Google Play and Play Protect, and has passed Google's compatibility tests.
