Google’s next streaming device could swap Android TV for Google TV
Android TV gets its old name back
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Changes are apparently afoot in the world ofChromecastsandAndroid TV, with rumors thatGooglecould be about to launch a brand new streaming device – and swap the Android TV branding for Google TV at the same time.
According to sources speaking toProtocol, Google is planning a new Chromecast-like streaming device that adds extra functionality. It sounds as though it would be more like theNvidia Shield TV, with its own storage andoperating system, and it backs up similar reportswe heard in March.
The current Chromecasts made by Google simply relay streams from the web, and are controlled by a separate phone or laptop. Up to this point, Google has mostly left the bigger Android TV boxes to third-party manufacturers.
This new piece of hardware could change that – Protocol’s sources say that the device is going to be similar to aRokuorAmazon Fire TV Stick, that it will focus on movies and videos rather than apps, and that it might have the Nest branding.
Naming and renaming
Meanwhile,9to5Google– the site whichfirst broke the newsthat an updated Chromecast-style device was on the way – is reporting that Android TV is very soon going to be rebranded as Google TV.
We don’t know when this is going to be happening, or why it’s happening, but ‘Google’ certainly has more brand recognition than ‘Android’. You may remember that Android TVwas originally called Google TV, so the circle might soon be complete.
The bottom line is that Google could be about to debut a brand new streaming device, with the Nest branding instead of the Chromecast branding, and with Google TV on board rather than Android TV.
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Google usually hosts an IO developer conference in May, but the coronavirushas scuppered itfor this year. If the plan was to launch this new hardware at the 2020 conference, then we might be hearing about it any day now.
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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