Google will reveal new Chromecast and smart speaker in late September
Looks like Google is finally ready to spill the beans about its revamped Chromecast streaming dongle and (Nest?) smart speaker, with the search giant sending out invitations to a 30 September press event.
‘Launch Night In’ is the bold headline for the invitation, which continues: “We invite you to learn all about our new Chromecast, our latest smart speaker and our new Pixel phones.”
Rumours about the speaker have been curculating so much that Google went ahead and sent out an image and a teaser video, although it didn’t reveal any additional details, including a name.
The new Chromecast dongle, which has gone by the code name Sabrina in various leaks over the past few months, will supposedly incorporate a revamped version of Google’s Android TV platform, complete with a remote control (that would be a first for Chromecast), along with Nest alert overlays, a redesigned Google Assistant interface, and deep YouTube TV integration.
A leaked specifications sheet for the rumoured Chromecast includes details such as HDR support (including HLG and Dolby Vision), as well as a CPU that might pack in the necessary power for 4K video playback. Even more leaks over the weekend further reveal that the dongle might come in three colours, and that it could cost anywhere from $50 to $60 in the US.
Meanwhile, Google’s teaser image and video for its new smart speaker – a successor to the discontinued Google Home speaker, we figure – show a rounded, rectangular, and fabric-covered shell with four telltale Google Assistant LEDs.
We also know that you can connect two of the new speakers into a stereo pair, and that the device will come in two colours.
Google hasn’t said much else about the new speaker, such as what it will be called or what it will cost. However, all indications are that it will be a music-focused speaker designed to take on such competitors as the Sonos One and Amazon Echo Studio.
IDG News Service
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