Netflix makes the leap from iOS to Android - but only some devices

Product manager explains lack of standard streaming playback features is the reason for limited rollout.

Streaming movies service Netflix has launched its official Android app, but only for a selection of handsets - including the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, HTC Evo 4G, HTC G2 and Samsung Nexus S.

The app allows Netflix subscribers to stream films to their phones, and access their account information. Product manager Roma De published a post on Netflix's official blog explaining why the handset support is limited.

"Because the platform has evolved so rapidly, there are some significant challenges associated with developing a streaming video application for this ecosystem. One of these challenges is the lack of standard streaming playback features that the Netflix application can use to gain broad penetration across all available Android phones," they wrote.

"In the absence of standardization, we have to test each individual handset and launch only on those that can support playback. We are aggressively qualifying phones and look forward to expanding the list of phones on which the Netflix app will be supported. We anticipate that many of these technical challenges will be resolved in the coming months and that we will be able to provide a Netflix application that will work on a large majority of Android phones."

Curiously, the blog post appears to have been since removed from the Netflix blog.