According to a new report by XDA Developers, Google might have a new device coming your way this summer. Apparently, the tech giant is working on a new Android TV dongle, similar to the Chromecast Ultra, but with its own remote and Android TV software onboard. Code named Sabrina, the new Google Android TV dongle is expected to launch under the Google Nest brand.
Reports of a new Google device and its features have been floating around for some time. In March, 9to5Google got wind that the company was working on a successor to the Chromecast Ultra. At the time, it was said unlike Chromecast Ultra, which is operated from the user’s smartphone, the new device would come with a remote. After the news broke, a certification filing for a “Google Remote” went up on the FCC’s website, XDA Developers reports.
In May, another report also came out stating that the new device would be launched under the Nest brand. This would make sense, XDA Developers noted, because the company has revamped all its other smart home devices under Google Nest. A report by Protocol claimed that the tech giant is also planning to update the Android TV user interface, focusing more on content by placing emphasis on individual movies and TV shows rather than applications.
Now, XDA Developers have shared images of the “likely official renders” of the new Google Android TV dongle, saying the device “has an oblong shape, unlike the Chromecast Ultra’s rounded shape. Whereas Google’s third-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra are only available in black and white, it seems that Google’s new Android TV dongle will be available in black, white, and a new light pink color.”
Source: XDA Developers
As it stands, the images of the remote show that it comes with a Google Assistant button, though it’s not clear whether it will have a Netflix or Amazon button as most remotes do. Pricing for the new device is also unclear, although industry insiders speculate the dongle will be around the $80 mark, according to Protocol.