David Imel / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The price of the upcoming Chromecast HD has leaked.
- It may not be much cheaper than the 4K Chromecast, but could still be a better deal.
Google is holding a Nest launch alongside the announcement of the Pixel 7 series on October 6. All signs point to the rumored HD Chromecast’s debut at the event. Images and specifications of the new streaming device leaked recently, and a leaker has now outed its price.
According to SnoopyTech on Twitter, the Chromecast HD with Google TV is priced at $40. The tipster says it’s already stocked at several retail outlets, so we could start seeing actual images and videos of the dongle pretty soon.
Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is 40 USD and already in Stock at a lot of retailers. Expect unboxing’s and hands on’s soon.
At $40, the new Chromecast is just $10 cheaper than the $49.99 4K Chromecast. That’s certainly not what most people were expecting. Given that the new device would top out at 1080p resolution, it only makes more sense to get the 4K model by paying a bit more, right? Well, there might be a few reasons the “cheaper” Chromecast is a better purchase, especially if you don’t have a 4K TV or monitor.
For one, the Chromecast HD is expected to feature Android 12 out of the box. In comparison, the 4K Chromecast is still stuck on Android 10 and might never see a major OS update due to insufficient storage space.
The other advantage, and it’s a big one, could be the seamless storage feature on the newer model. A developer dug through some firmware, revealing that the Chromecast HD would support A/B updates. That means it would not need to store updates on-device, making it easier for Google to push out new software and security patches without worrying about limited storage.
