As we’ve recently reported, Google’s next Chromecast device will likely debut on Wednesday, September 30. However, it seems like retailers like The Home Depot just couldn’t wait.
According to reports from The Verge, buyers have purchased the new Chromecast from retailers that include The Home Depot and Walmart in recent days. The Verge was able to buy one of these devices, which only reads “SABRINA-ABBEY ROCK CANDY” on the receipt, for $50.
Thanks to several past leaks, we’ve been able to piece together some details about the new Chromecast ahead of its official launch. For instance, the new Chromecast will keep the HDMI dongle style of earlier Chromecast models, though the product appears to have taken on a new shape. Leaked renders had led us to believe the new Chromecast is slightly elongated, with several color options to choose from (black, white, and maybe even pink).
Those same links suggested that the new Chromecast will have a remote, and there were whispers about the device adding its own operating system to match other streaming products like Roku streamers or the Apple TV. A move like this would potentially allow you to surf through your different streaming platforms as you would with any other streaming device, as opposed to the mobile device-driven experience that previous Chromecast products have used.
If recent Reddit threads are to be believed, the new Chromecast has 4K and HDR support, both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support, and is running an Android TV 10 operating system. The product supposedly has a USB-C power adapter, a remote with volume controls that can control TV volume via CEC, and 4,154 MB of storage space.
It seems that only certain locations had these Chromecasts prematurely for sale, with many would-be buyers reporting that they weren’t in stock at their local locations. We’ve done our part to verify that, having visited multiple locations without finding one of these new Chromecasts.
Even if you can’t find one now, the chances are these new streamers from Google will be released within a matter of days. Is it worth driving to every electronics store within a 10-mile radius to try and score a new Chromecast early? To some of us, maybe. But for most folks, a few extra days won’t make much of a difference as we await the official unveiling of the latest Google streaming device.
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