TL;DR
- Sales of existing Chromecast with Google TV models will continue at “select” retailers for the time being.
- Long-term, though, Google’s intent is to only be selling the new Google TV Streamer.
- Keep your eyes peeled for possible fire sales as retailers get ready to move old stock.
Google’s big Pixel 9 event is just one more week away, but today we’re getting an early hardware treat as the company pulls back the curtain on its latest smart home gear. In addition to the new 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat, we’re seeing the formal debut of the Google TV Streamer, the set-top box that’s effectively the new Chromecast. It’s got a fancy new remote, big upgrades to processing power and memory, and looks more than ready to fulfill your entertainment needs. That said, it’s also $100, which is a very un-Chromecast price. Will Google at least keep its existing, lower-priced Chromecast with Google TV models around? That answer is a nice and clear “kind of.”
Right now, you can outfit your 4K TV with a Chromecast with Google TV, complete with remote, for just about $50. And if you can live with 1080p (which is probably the most you’re getting from the majority of streaming content, anyway), you can save even more with the $30 HD version.
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
But with the new Google TV Streamer arriving, Google understandably plans to prioritize this new hardware. When asked about its plans for the old Chromecasts, Google revealed that sales in stores that already carry them will “selectively” continue, but the long-term goal is a full move over to the new hardware.
Does that mean you should go and grab some cheap streaming hardware right now while you still can? Unless you were already planning to, that move might be a little premature.
While it’s likely we’ll see availability of the old models start drying up, that timetable is still very loose, and it could still be quite a while before you’re not able to find one at all. There’s also the chance that if you hold out a little longer (and presuming there’s not some big run on them), it’s entirely possible we could have retailers slashing prices in an effort to clear old inventory — just like we’ve seen in the past with Google Home hardware.
9%off
Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K)
Fantastic interface
Google Assistant is wildly handy
Combines nearly every streaming service into one
Google Chromecast with Google TV (HD)
Inexpensive
Has a remote control
1080p Google TV experience
It will be a little sad to see Google exiting the budget streaming space, but it’s not like we don’t have other options these days, such as the very affordable Onn streaming boxes.
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