New Google Chromecast may debut this month, report says
As Apple and Amazon upgrade their rival products, a new report says Google is revamping its blockbuster $35 electric dongle, which connects your TV to your mobile devices and computers.
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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Google may reveal a new version of its Chromecast streaming-media device at an event in San Francisco on September 29, making it the third tech giant to refresh its connected-TV product ahead of the holiday shopping season.
The plans were reported by 9-to-5Google, based on an unverified internal document.
Google declined to comment.
Chromecast was an immediate hit when Google introduced it in July 2013. A thumb-sized device that you stick into the back of your TV to stream content from your laptop or phone, Chromecast sold out within hours and has remained a big seller since, thanks to its $35 price compared with rival devices that run from $50 to $100. But lately Chromecast's competitive edge has dulled. Competitors Roku and Amazon released imitators, and this month Amazon and Apple both unveiled flashy new streaming-media boxes to catch shoppers' attention when they're gift hunting.
The new version of the Chromecast streaming-media device is expected to be unveiled alongside two new smartphones. The new device is expected to have a rounder look, and the second generation is expected to work with high-powered Wi-Fi signals, according to the report, which cited internal documents.