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New version of Chromecast with Google TV leaks (Update: 1080p model?)
- A new report suggests there could be a new version of the Chromecast with Google TV for 2022.
- The codename for the device is allegedly “Boreal.”
- Not much is known about it, but we hope it fixes the biggest problem with its predecessor.
Updated, January 24, 2022 (03:01 PM ET): Not long after publishing the article below, news broke via Protocol that this rumored new Chromecast could be a lower-end model. Protocol contends the new Chromecast could be limited to 1080p streams to help differentiate it from the current model, which supports 4K resolutions.
Interestingly, Protocol also says the new Chromecast with Google TV for 2022 could support the AV1 codec. This would make it superior to the current model while still being sub-optimal due to its lack of 4K. This will make technically minded buyers torn, no doubt.
Since we expect this model to be a 1080p device, it would almost certainly land with a price lower than the current model. That would likely fall in the $29.99-$39.99 range if we had to guess.
Original article, January 24, 2022 (01:35 PM ET): In 2020, Google finally revamped its line of Chromecast streamers. Rather than rely on a smartphone or other device to control it, its 2020 streamer finally came with a physical remote, the Android TV operating system, and other perks that put it in direct competition with Rokus and Amazon Fire TV products.
Now, a rumor suggests there could be a new Chromecast with Google TV for 2022. We don’t know much about it, but we now have evidence that it at least exists.
In the middle of 2020, 9to5Google first broke the codename for the original Google TV-powered Chromecast: Sabrina. This ended up being its real codename. Now, 9to5Google posits that “Boreal” could be the codename for the next version of the streamer.
Other than its codename, we don’t know anything else about the next Chromecast with Google TV for 2022. However, we do have two big hopes for the device.
Chromecast with Google TV 2022: Two big hopes
The 2020 version of the Google TV-powered Chromecast is a great streamer, especially for its $50 list price. However, there are two glaring issues with the product that we hope Google addresses with the rumored Chromecast with Google TV for 2022.
The most glaring issue is a lack of storage space. The 2020 version of the device has just 8GB of storage. That’s your limit for the operating system itself and all your applications. For a lot of users, that’s a pitiful amount that they’d fill up in no time. And, since the device doesn’t have expandable storage, there’s nothing they can do about it.
Related: If you’re buying a cheap streaming device, just make sure it has this one thing
Hopefully, the rumored Chromecast with Google TV for 2022 has at least 64GB of storage. We’d hope for 128GB, but this is Google we’re talking about, so 64GB is a more realistic wish.
The next thing we hope to see fixed is support for the AV1 codec. Google itself is pushing the AV1 codec incredibly hard, especially on YouTube. It’s pretty strange that the company’s own media streamer lacks support for it. It seems likely Google would fix this with the next iteration of the product, but who knows.
We’ll keep you posted as more details emerge related to the rumored Chromecast with Google TV for 2022.