Google merges Chromecast and Android TV with the “Chromecast with Google TV”

Alongside the launch of the Pixel 5, today Google is making major changes to its TV strategy and merging its products, Chromecast and Android TV, into a single device. Oh, it's also changing the name of Android TV. Meet the redundantly named "Google Chromecast with Google TV," a $50 Chromecast that, instead of being just a streaming endpoint you control with a phone, runs Android and comes with a remote.

The new HDMI dongle is $49.99, and it looks like a replacement for the Chromecast Ultra, since it supports 4K and HDR10. Google didn't officially release specs yet, but since this is already for sale in some stores, we know the specs. It's powered by an Amlogic S905X3 SoC, which has four 1.9GHz Cortez A55 cores and a Mali-G31MP2 GPU. There's also 2GB of RAM, a measly 4.4GB of user storage (there is probably 8GB total), 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.1.

Since this is a low-power streaming device with almost no storage, you would think playing games on Google Stadia would be a major part of the sales pitch, but Google didn't mention the streaming service once during the live event. The Stadia Twitter account tweeted that support would be coming in the first half of 2021.

What’s in a name?

Android TV is no longer Android TV and has been renamed to "Google TV." This is not to be confused with the original Google TV that launched in 2010 as Google's first swing at a smart TV device. The original Google TV was based on Android and had crazy requirements like a full QWERTY remote. Google threw out the whole Google TV codebase and started over with Android TV in 2014. So yeah, we started with the old "Google TV," then switched to "Android TV," and now we're back to "Google TV" again.

New Google TV is still the Android TV codebase, but there are a few changes in the new Chromecast. Instead of siloing content into apps like Netflix and Disney+, the new Google TV home screen aggregates content into a single interface. You'll get scrolling rows of TV shows, movies, and more, instead of having to dig through apps. There's also a "watchlist" where you can queue up what you want to watch from multiple devices.

The Google TV with Chromecast is available today in the United States, and it's up for pre-order in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK, where it will be available for purchase on October 15.