We’ve been talking for months about the supposed successor to the 2020 Chromecast 4K, and it finally seems like the device has arrived on the scene. The first leaked photos and details tell us about a device that will be called Google TV Stream and could be arriving soon.
9 to 5 Google has received photos and details from “a source” that reveal one of the possible surprises that the manufacturer could have prepared for the event that will be held on August 13. It is a device known as Google TV Stream that will arrive to succeed the Chromecast and provide users with a new generation of the latest technology.
A radical change
As you can see in the photos from 9 to 5 Google, the manufacturer is abandoning the classic dongle-type device design in favour of a larger device. It would no longer be connected to the television from the back so as to be hidden, but rather it would be a device that would be placed on a table or any other place, such as a router or a more traditional decoder.
However, as you can see in the photo, the design is at least curious. The website compares it to the design of a pill and highlights the way in which it has a wider format than usual. They emphasize that they do not know if this design responds to some kind of objective or if, in reality, it is just a personal choice on the part of Google. However, it is true that, in a market that has been very obsessed with achieving the most stylized format possible, it is surprising to see a terminal like this with atypical dimensions.
What they do on the website is to highlight the similarity that the design of this Google device has with the Charging Speaker Dock of the Pixel Tablet, although with a smaller size. And if you take a look at their photos, you can’t say that they are not right with the comparison.
What else do we know?
From the photos we can see that there are two cables coming out of the back. Logically, one of them will be the power cable to connect it to the light and the other the HDMI connection cable that will go to the television to be able to offer its service. Although the design is wide, it is not high, which means that you could put the terminal under the television, on one of its sides, and it would not cause any kind of problem for the appearance of your entertainment equipment.
We also got a glimpse of the remote, which is longer but still has the same look and feel as the Chromecast remote, which is a nice touch of familiarity. First we see the control wheel, and below it are the back and home buttons. One of the changes that can be seen on the remote is that Google has given in and removed the direct mention of Google Assistant. This is a nice change considering that not all users use this assistant and Google probably wants those who buy this device to feel comfortable using the new remote. Therefore, the assistant button is now represented only by the microphone icon.
In addition to this, we also have the volume control on the front, which is more convenient than when it was on the side. And, looking at the photo carefully, although it is not very clear, you can see that there are two quick access buttons to services: one for YouTube and another for Netflix. The power button and the star button are also included.
These are welcome changes, and overall the device looks promising. Most importantly, Google is dropping the Chromecast brand, which has become extremely important in the market. But the company may want to keep looking ahead. Plus, the latest Chromecast model may still be on sale, at least for now.
