More details of Google’s new TV streaming device, called the “Google TV Streamer”, have apparently been leaked online, detailing some of its specifications.
We saw our first glimpse of the Google TV Streamer last week. It is supposed to be the successor to Google’s last streaming device, the Chromecast with Google TV dongle that debuted almost four years ago.
The leaked images we saw last week suggest that Google is going for a different approach, dropping the dongle-style for a sleek, set-top box that’s more akin to the Apple TV. But although we saw pictures, that leak left us guessing what the device’s capabilities might be.
Once again, the leak comes courtesy of 9to5Google, which first obtained the images of the Google TV Streamer. It reported that it came across filings with the U.S. FCC, which regulates new hardware offerings. The documents weren’t filed by Google, but rather by a company called Quanta Computer that’s often contracted to make hardware for Google. It has previously built Google’s Pixel Slate, PixelBook Go and PixelBook devices, for example.
The documents suggest Quanta has now been contracted to work on the Google TV Streamer, and suggest that the device will feature the same “Thread radio support” capability that’s found in Google’s latest Pixel 9 smartphone. What that means is the device will be able to communicate with any Thread-compatible smartphone or smart home device without requiring a separate hub. So, you might be able to use the Google TV Streamer’s remote control to switch on the lights or play with the smart thermostat.
The specifications also list dual-band WiFi support and Bluetooth connectivity, plus Ethernet and USB ports on the back of the device, as well as a single HDMI slot. It’s notable that the WiFi support only extends to 802.11ac, which is the WiFi 5 standard, rather than the newer WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 standards. That suggests that the Google TV Streamer will be a relatively inexpensive device as opposed to a premium product like the Apple TV 4K.
No other specifications were revealed, but most experts seem to think that the device will feature an upgraded processor, and it will probably have more storage and memory too. The existing Chromecast with Google TV dongle features an Amlogic S905X3 CPU and has just 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, so expect more than that on the newer device. Google itself has been pushing Google TV device makers to up their storage space to a minimum of 16GB, so it would be a bit of a shock if the company didn’t set an example here.
Google hasn’t said anything officially about the new Google TV Streamer, but a likely launch date might be next month, when the company is expected to announce the new Google Pixel Pro 9 smartphone.
