Google’s new 2nd gen Chromecast device has been leaked once again, but this time we've been gifted a detailed look at the TV dongle’s hardware, remote and user interface. The news is all thanks to Redditor u/fuzztub07, who was apparently able to buy the unannounced “Chromecast with Google TV” dongle early from a local Walmart.
Big mistake on the retail giant's part? Maybe, maybe not; it happened before in 2018 when Best Buy 'accidentally' put the original Chromecast on shelves prematurely – and it certainly garnered a lot of free publicity for the new device.
The tipster has since published a series of photographs of the included hardware and its manual, and even a video of its user interface. In fact, u/fuzztub07 has been impeccably helpful following their purchase, actively responding to many questions about the Android TV streaming dongle and offering plenty of details about its functionality.
We already had a decent idea of what to expect from the device, which had been codenamed 'Sabrina', thanks to a series of leaks that have trickled out relatively steadily since March, culminating with a leaked image one week ago.
The streamer is a long-awaited update on the company's Google Chromecast Ultra and was slated to come with an all-new dedicated remote that'd look similar to the Apple TV 4K remote. If these photographs are genuine, this is indeed the case – and there are dedicated Google Assistant, Netflix and YouTube buttons too.
Essentially, it’s an Android TV streaming device (rebranded to 'Google TV') which you control with the all-new remote, but it also supports Chromecast streaming from compatible apps. The device itself is powered by USB-C, while its remote takes two AAA batteries.
Will the original Google Chromecast now receive a hefty discount, thus beating Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday to a deal on a five-star streamer? Quite possibly. How good will this new Chromecast TV dongle be? Watch this space...
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