In April, we announced that Google is working on a follow-up to 2020’s Chromecast with Google TV (4K). 9to5Google can now report that this upcoming device will be the “Google TV Streamer”.
Google is discontinuing the compact dongle model that you plug into your TV and keep out of sight.
As seen in images shared with 9to5GoogleGoogle is aiming for a set-top/table-top design with a sloped, pill-shaped surface. It’s quite wide compared to other streaming boxes, and it’s unclear whether it serves any functional purpose. This would be great for, say, Ultra Wideband-powered Tap to Cast, which was announced for the Pixel Tablet earlier this year.
This is joined by a pill-shaped base, the whole thing vaguely resembling a miniature Pixel Tablet Charging Speaker Dock. Two cables — presumably power and HDMI — poke out the back. Overall, it should have minimal (height) presence below your TV.
Meanwhile, the remote looks the same, but is longer. After the D-Pad, you have the back and home buttons on the first row. The voice input key is no longer Google Assistant-branded, instead using a generic microphone, a sign of the times. It has a raised bump because the color splashes are used for the home button.
The volume rocker has been moved to the front of the remote instead of the right side, while you now also get a mute button. Shortcuts for YouTube and Netflix, as well as power and a “Magic”/star shortcut, round things out.
With this drastically different design, we also get a new name. The “Google TV Streamer” retains the “Google TV” branding, but drops “Chromecast” in a surprising twist for the old name. It’s unclear whether the company will continue to sell the Chromecast with Google TV (HD), though it does adopt “Google Cast,” replacing the “Chromecast built-in” branding earlier this year.
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