Soaring DRAM and NAND prices have forced Android manufacturers to sharply raise smartphone prices. Now, Google’s TV Streamer is joining the list, quietly becoming $50 more expensive.
Google launched the TV Streamer in 2024 for $100. But now, it appears to have jacked up its price by a whopping 50% to $150. That’s a steep increase for a device that initially launched as a budget-friendly Google TV streaming box.
This should not be surprising, as Google launched the Pixel 11 and Pixel Watch 5 in mid-August with higher price tags and lower RAM.
Besides the Google TV Streamer, the company also raised prices of a bunch of Nest products. Unlike the TV Streamer though, the price hikes are not as steep.
All three versions of the Nest Camera are now $20 more expensive. Likewise, the wired and battery-powered Nest Doorbell models now cost $200 after a $20 price hike.
Google shared the following statement with 9to5Google about the price hikes:
Due to rising component costs, we are adjusting the U.S. pricing of select Google Nest cameras, doorbells and Google TV streamer 4K, effective August 31. We remain committed to providing our customers with industry-leading smart home security and continuous feature updates.
For now, the increased prices of the Google TV Streamer and Nest products are limited to the Google Store and Best Buy. You can still snag the Google TV streaming box for $100 on Amazon. But the old pricing may not last for long, so if you have been looking to buy the streaming box, you may as well pull the trigger now.
At $150, Google’s TV Streamer makes little sense
The increased $150 MSRP makes the Google TV Streamer a much harder sell. While it packs more powerful hardware than older Chromecast models, its $100 price tag was a key part of its appeal. A 50% price hike changes that. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of the current market, with DRAM and NAND price hikes affecting all sorts of consumer electronics.
The Walmart Onn 4K Pro is a much better alternative, running Google TV and offering 3GB of RAM with 32GB of onboard storage.
