Google could be releasing a 4K Android TV dongle at its upcoming I/O conference, now less than a month away.
An application filed with the US Federal Communications commission (FCC) has revealed that a 4K Android TV dongle is on the way. The only question is whether it’s an official Google product.
The application (spotted by Ausdroid) was filed by a company called Shenzhen SEI robotics, and shows both a teardrop-shaped dongle emblazoned with Google’s distinctive ‘G’ logo, and a remote with a dedicated Google Assistant button. Also listed are the full specs for the device.
Invasion of the Androids
If it is an official product it joins Google’s Chromecast devices, which can already stream Full HD video, 4K, and audio to speakers from a mobile device. Android TV is a far more robust proposition, as an actual TV operating system, akin to Roku.
There are already numerous devices with Android TV on the market, including TVs like the Sony Bravia X900E, and the (excellent) Nvidia Shield. This would be the first time that Google’s TV platform would be available on any TV with an HDMI port.
It uses HDMI 2.0, and has an Amilogic S905X processor with 2GB of RAM under the hood, and there’s 8GB of eMMC storage for downloading apps and games. Android TV, as a counterpart to Android has access to the Play Store, so has a greater repository of games than any other TV OS.
Now, from looking at Shenzhen SEI robotics’ client list (which includes Apogee, Acer and Harman International), there’s no mention of Google or its parent company Alphabet. That’s not to say that Google isn’t a client, but it casts doubt on whether this is an official Google product.
Either way, we’ve got less than a month to wait now to find out. We’ll of course keep you updated with our extensive coverage of Google I/O.
- Don't know what Google I/O is? Check out: Google IO 2018: what we want to see
Via The Next Web and Android Central
Image credit: Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co. / FCCID
