More information emerges about the new Google TV Streamer, including a great smart home hub feature
It’s been a while since the Chromecast with Google TV launched: four years and counting. That means it’s starting to lag behind the best streaming devices, but Google has a plan: as we reported last week, a new Google TV streamer is on the way. Leaked images suggest it’ll look very different, ditching the Chromecast branding and adopting a wedge-shaped box instead of a dongle. And now, some leaked specs tell us a little more about what it’ll be capable of.
The leaked specifications come via 9to5googleGoogle reports that they’ll include the same Thread radio support that’s coming to Google Pixel 9 phones. That means the Google TV streamer will be able to communicate with Thread-compatible smart home kit without the need for a separate hub. This will allow you to, for example, control your smart home gear with voice prompts sent to your streamer’s remote.
Google TV Streamer: Specifications and Features
In addition to the Thread radio, the specs include dual-band Wi-Fi with support for 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, as well as Bluetooth. There also appears to be Ethernet and USB ports, as well as the obligatory HDMI or Ethernet support at the very least, which could theoretically be done via an adapter rather than a dedicated port. With Wi-Fi maxing out at 802.11ac rather than Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), let alone Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), this suggests that this isn’t going to be an expensive, high-end device: as with the Chromecast, it appears Google is going for a relatively low price.
We don’t know what the rest of the specs are yet, though a processor upgrade, memory upgrade, and storage upgrade are very likely: the 4K version of the current Chromecast with Google TV has an Amlogic S905X3 CPU, which is based on the ARM Cortex-A55, along with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. As we’ve stated a few times now, that 8GB really isn’t much when you start installing apps; it’s a common complaint from users of the current model.
These specs come from documents filed with the FCC, the US regulator. However, these documents do not come from Google, but from Quanta Computer, which has previously made Google hardware, including the Pixel Slate, the PixelBook Go and the Pixelbook.
There’s been no official announcement yet about the new Google TV Streamer, but educated guesses suggest we might see it at Google’s August 13 event. That’s when we’re expecting to see the Google Pixel 9 Pro unveiled, and the streamer could make its debut then as well.