After 11 years of service, the Google Chromecast has been discontinued and sent to the increasingly crowded Google Graveyard. The streaming dongle's replacement, the Google TV Streamer, is here – and Google says it's now "ending production of the Chromecast".
While that's good news for anyone who's been holding out for an Android-powered equivalent to the Apple TV 4K, it's less exciting for those who were considering getting a super-cheap streaming dongle with built-in Google TV. Google's new TV Streamer costs $99 / £99 / AU$159, twice as much as the Chromecast 4K.
Both current versions of the Chromecast, the Chromecast with Google TV 4K (from 2020) and the Chromecast with Google TV HD (from 2022), will now "only be available while supplies last". And it isn't exactly clear how long those supplies will last for.
Right now, both versions of the Chromecast appear to be in stock at the Google Store and at retailers like Amazon – you can check our live deals section at the bottom of this page for the best prices. With Google stating that it "will continue to support all existing Chromecast devices with ongoing updates", it might be wise to pick up a discounted Chromecast soon if you've been considering getting one.
Then again, at $99 / £99 / AU$159, the new Google TV Streamer isn't a lot more expensive. And it does bring some major advantages, including much better specs (a new processor, twice the memory and 32GB of storage) plus some software boosts like Google Gemini-powered show summaries and season breakdowns.
Still, what the Google TV Streamer isn't, when compared to the Chromecast, is small enough to inconspicuously disappear behind your TV....
Blast from the Chromecast
Google has poured one out for its original streaming dongle in the form of a 'Chromecast history' obituary, which looks back at its various incarnations. Starting as a glorified HDMI stick in 2013, it then became a little more stylish with each passing year with new color options and a softer design.
It wasn't until the Chromecast with Google TV 4K that the series finally received its much-requested voice remote – a feature that has been passed onto the Google TV Streamer. In that respect, and many others, the Chromecast really isn't going away –it's just morphing into a more modern form.
Google says that the reason it's ditching the Chromecast brand is because, since 2013, smart TVs have swallowed up much of the dongle's original functionality. The Chromecast launched into a world of decidedly dumb TV interfaces. But now Android TV and Google Cast are built into millions of TVs, Google reckons its streaming hardware needs to offer something different.
Looking at the Google TV Streamer, that means an Apple TV 4K-esque streaming box that's still largely about entertainment, but also has a big focus on the smart home, Google Gemini-powered features and a Google Photos companion for your TV. In short, the TV Streamer is more like an all-singing 'Google box' for your house – and we're looking forward to trying one out.
For those who still like the idea of a Google-powered streaming dongle, though, the clock is already ticking.
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