Google’s subsequent streaming gadget shall be a set-top field

You’ve got purchased your final Chromecast. 9to5Google has published images of Google’s subsequent streamer, and it is a dongle no extra. The brand new ‘Google TV Streamer’ has a set-top field design, which means that each the dongle design and Chromecast identify are being consigned to the historical past books.

The brand new gadget has a sloped, extensive pill-shaped design, which is far wider than it’s deep, and the revealed photographs present a white mannequin. It isn’t clear whether or not different colour choices shall be accessible as they’re with the Chromecast with Google TV.

The brand new streaming gadget is more likely to be formally introduced on the Made by Google occasion on August 13, the place the Google Pixel 9 shall be launched formally launched, regardless of the Pixel 9 Professional having already been revealed.

No extra Chromecast dongle

The gadget marks the primary set-top field from Google

9to5Google

Prior incarnations of the Chromecast have been dongles that plug into an HDMI port and conceal away, dangling like a vestigial tail out of the again of your TV. The primary era mannequin was the one model with out a versatile cable, being designed as a strong stick.

The brand new Google TV Streamer marks a significant new course for Google streaming gadgets, being the primary time that the corporate has produced a set-top field that is designed to be positioned in entrance of your TV fairly than hidden away on the again.

The pictures additionally present the brand new distant, which appears to be like just like the distant that ships with the Chromecast with Google TV, however it’s not precisely the identical. Beneath the directional pad on the prime, it seems to keep up the identical eight buttons from the earlier mannequin, which embrace House, Mute, Again, YouTube, Netflix, Energy, and Enter/Supply. The Google Assistant button has been changed with a easy microphone icon, however in all probability fulfills the identical perform.

The most important change is that the quantity controls have now moved to a rocker on the entrance of the distant; on the Chromecast with Google TV, they’re discovered on the right-hand facet. This could make the distant simpler to make use of, particularly if you happen to’re right-handed, because the facet buttons is usually a little awkward to achieve.

Why is Google making a set-top field?

It might be greater than merely taking up the Apple TV

9to5Google

There are a number of doable the reason why Google has made this transfer. The obvious is that it needs one thing to compete with different standard set-top containers such because the Apple TV. Nonetheless, the form of the brand new design could trace at one other doable motive.

Many gadgets are capable of begin streaming audio or video from one gadget to a different just by bringing the gadgets shut collectively. For instance, if you happen to’re taking part in music in your iPhone, you may hand it off to a HomePod simply by holding your iPhone near your HomePod. Google has an analogous characteristic with Pixel phones and tablets that means that you can solid music out of your telephone to your pill or vice versa simply by bringing the gadgets shut collectively.

It might be the case that the lengthy, flat design of the Google TV Streamer is meant to facilitate the power to stream content material to your TV by bringing your telephone close to to the set-top field. That is pure hypothesis, nonetheless; it could merely be attempting to imitate the design of the huge pill-shaped digicam bump on the upcoming Pixel 9 Professional.

Chromecast with Google TV

Google’s newest model of the Chromecast gives streaming from all your favourite providers on a small and inexpensive gadget that can conceal away behind your TV.