The rumored pricing of the upcoming Chromecast with Google TV (HD) makes it worth considering as an alternative to other streaming devices.
An insider has revealed the North American pricing for Google’s upcoming Chromecast, and it is more affordable than previously thought. Quite a number of people are looking forward to the successor of the Chromecast with Google TV, especially since the original streamer has its fair share of shortcomings that affects the user experience. However, it appears Google has no intention of making changes this year as the upcoming Chromecast is not a successor but a cheaper version.
Google announced the Chromecast with Google TV in 2020 as a 4K streamer with a new UI. Google TV is actually built on top of Android TV, an interface that is still used by a lot of streaming devices and smart TVs. The new UI has certain features not available on Android TV such as support for multiple user profiles and kids' profiles.
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There have been multiple reports already about the existence of a cheaper Chromecast with Google TV which is expected to be announced at the Made by Google event in October. Now, an insider has revealed how much it will cost in North America. According tipster SnoopyTech on Twitter, the streaming device, which will reportedly be called Chromecast with Google TV (HD), will sell for CA$40 in Canada and around $30 in the United States. This is significantly cheaper than the CA$69.99/$49.99 the 4K version is currently sold for on the Google store.
With this reported pricing, Google seems to be going after rivals such as Roku and Amazon as both companies offer multiple streaming devices including entry-level models. Roku recently announced a new version of its Roku Express streaming dongle which has the same design as the previous generation but brings additional features such as dual-band Wi-Fi and more storage. The device is priced at $30 and will be available for purchase on Oct. 16, a week after Google's event.
On the other hand, Amazon has two entry-level streaming sticks — the Fire TV Stick Lite and the Fire TV Stick. Both are capable of 1080p streaming like the Roku Express and are priced at $30 and $40 respectively. The Chromecast with Google TV has been reported to have 2GB of RAM which is double that of Amazon's streaming sticks. Roku doesn't state how much RAM the new Roku Express has, but the previous generation had just 512MB.
Alongside the pricing details, an earlier leak had revealed renders of the Chromecast which unsurprisingly has an identical design to the 4K model, down to the remote. However, it seems Google will be offering the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) in a single colorway (Snow), as seen in the images posted by WinFuture. The 4K model is available in three colors — Snow, Sunrise, and Sky. Nevertheless, considering the Chromecast will be hanging behind the TV, the limited color options don't seem to be a big deal, unless you consider the remote.
Habeeb has years of experience covering consumer technology and has written for multiple publications. As a Senior Writer at Screen Rant, he enjoys writing about wearables, smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks. Several of his articles include guides and comparisons that help users get the best out of their devices or choose the one that bests suits them. When he's not writing, he's catching up on the latest TV shows. He considers The Crown as peak drama and Castlevania as one of the best game-to-screen adaptations. And on days when there is nothing to watch (is that even possible?), he sneaks in a few hours of games on his PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.