Android vs Windows Smart Boards: Are Businesses Buying the Wrong Operating System?

Some are, mainly because they pick one operating system for every room. The better approach is to choose by room. A corporate meeting room should be chosen by meeting platform: a board certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms, on Android or Windows, rather than any Android board with apps added. A classroom is usually well served by a Google EDLA-certified Android board such as the LG CreateBoard 65TR3DQ (S$2,587.50, listed 31 Oct 2026). A training centre where people run desktop software needs Windows, either on a Windows OPS module or a PC. One example is an Avocor H Series AVH-6520 touch display (S$4,971.25) with an Avocor i7 Gen 12 OPS module (S$1,715.62). The mistake is buying for the cheapest room and then using that board everywhere.

Which platform suits which room?

Platform details from Microsoft Learn (Teams Rooms security, Android tab, updated 5 Aug 2026; Teams Rooms app version support, 19 Aug 2026), MOE's Student Learning Space technical FAQ and vendor datasheets. SourceIT prices listed 31 Oct 2026.

What should a corporate meeting room run?

Start with the meeting platform, not the operating system. For Microsoft Teams, the room device should be certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms. Microsoft says certified Teams Android devices "don't have the Google Play Store ... or Google Play Services, installed by design". So a Google EDLA board running the Teams app from Google Play is running the phone and tablet app, not Teams Rooms. Microsoft lists that app for "Android phones and tablets", not interactive displays.

• Standard Teams rooms: a Teams Rooms on Android board such as the Yealink MeetingBoard Pro or Logitech Rally Board 65, both price on request. Microsoft certifies both on Android 13 until 15 August 2028 and supports them for two years after that.
• Rooms that need Windows-only features: Front Row, breakout rooms, multi-camera, Defender for Endpoint and others need Teams Rooms on Windows. The MeetingBoard Pro gets there with Yealink's MCore OPS-G2T module, also price on request.
• Licence: Teams Rooms Basic is free for up to 25 rooms. Teams Rooms Pro is S$610 per room per year at SourceIT and adds management and security features.

The full feature split between the two versions is in Android vs Windows Interactive Displays: Are Businesses Choosing the Wrong Platform?, and the Teams-specific differences are in Microsoft Teams on Android Smart Boards: Is It Really the Same Experience as Windows?

What should a classroom run?

For most classrooms, Android with Google EDLA. Teachers annotate, open Google or Microsoft apps, play video and share from laptops or tablets, all of which the built-in system handles without a PC. MOE's Student Learning Space is browser-based, and its supported list includes Android 13 or later with Chrome 128 or later, so a current EDLA board meets it. Two examples:

• LG CreateBoard 65TR3DQ: Android 14 with EDLA, rated for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. LG says it can delete files on a schedule and save to Google Drive or OneDrive.
• Samsung WA65F: Android 14 with EDLA.

What to check is the Android version, because that sets how long Google and the vendor patch it. Our posts Why Schools Might Be Wasting Money on Windows Interactive Displays and Your Android Smart Board Could Become Obsolete Before the Screen Dies go further.

Choose the operating system for the work done in the room, not for the price of the cheapest panel.

What should a training centre run?

Windows, if trainers or learners use Windows software on the board itself: accounting or ERP training, CAD viewers, coding environments or a company's own line-of-business apps. An Android board can display a trainer's laptop, but it cannot run that software. There are two ways to add Windows:

• A display with an OPS module. The Avocor H Series AVH-6520 is a 65-inch PCAP touch display with no built-in operating system. Pair it with an Avocor i5 Gen 11 OPS (S$1,028.75, Core i5-1135G7, 8 GB, 256 GB, Windows 11 Pro) or i7 Gen 12 OPS (S$1,715.62, Core i7-1260P, 16 GB, 256 GB NVMe, Windows 11 Pro).
• An Android board plus a Windows OPS module, so the room can switch between the two. This brings its own support questions, covered in One Screen, Two Operating Systems.

Windows 11 Pro on an OPS module suits training software, but it is not a Teams Rooms system. Microsoft supports Teams Rooms on Windows only on Windows IoT Enterprise or Enterprise on the annual update channel.

What about rooms that do a bit of everything?

Mixed-use rooms are where the wrong choice costs most. If a room hosts client meetings in the morning and training in the afternoon, decide which matters more, then add the other. A certified Teams Rooms board covers the meetings and a laptop covers the training. A Windows OPS board covers the training and can join meetings in the Teams desktop app, but that is not Teams Rooms. Our post Windows Interactive Displays: Powerful Upgrade or Expensive Overkill? looks at when the Windows module earns its cost.

A quick room-by-room checklist

1. Write down the three things each room does most often.
2. For meeting rooms, confirm the platform (Teams, Zoom, Google Meet) and check the board is on that platform's certified list.
3. For classrooms, check the Android version and ask the vendor how long it will be patched.
4. For training rooms, list the Windows software that must run on the board, and budget for the OPS module, licence and management.
5. Standardise where you can. Fewer models and fewer management tools make every room easier to support. See Can Your IT Team Manage 100 Different Conference Room Devices?

If you are wondering how a boardroom board differs from a consumer tablet that happens to run the same operating system, see Would You Put a Giant Android Tablet in Your Corporate Boardroom? You Already Might Have.

Buying in Singapore

SourceIT supplies the LG CreateBoard 65TR3DQ (S$2,587.50), Samsung WA65F (S$3,212.50), Avocor H Series AVH-6520 (S$4,971.25), Avocor i5 Gen 11 OPS (S$1,028.75), Avocor i7 Gen 12 OPS (S$1,715.62) and Teams Rooms Pro (S$610 per room per year), all listed 31 Oct 2026.

For certified Teams rooms we supply the Yealink MeetingBoard 65 Pro, the Yealink MCore OPS-G2T and the Logitech Rally Board 65, all price on request. Browse Smart Interactive Displays and Teams Room Solutions. 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

Should a meeting room smart board run Android or Windows? Choose a board certified for your meeting platform first. For Teams, Android Teams Rooms boards suit standard rooms, and Teams Rooms on Windows suits rooms that need features such as Front Row or multi-camera.

Is Android good enough for classrooms? Usually, yes. EDLA-certified Android boards run Google apps, annotation and wireless sharing, and MOE's Student Learning Space supports Android 13 or later with Chrome.

When does a training room need Windows? When trainers or learners need to run Windows software on the board itself, such as accounting, CAD or in-house applications.

Can I install Teams from Google Play on an EDLA board for meetings? You can install it, but it is the phone and tablet app, not Microsoft Teams Rooms. Certified Teams Rooms Android devices ship without Google Play by design.

Can one board serve every room type? A board with an OPS slot can add Windows later, but one standard rarely fits meeting rooms, classrooms and training labs equally well. Decide by each room's main use.