It looks like the new Nexus smartphones aren’t the only hardware that Google will be unveiling at its big announcement event in a couple of weeks. According to leaked documents obtained by 9to5Google, the company will also be taking the wraps off the new Chromecast, two years after releasing the first version of the media-streaming dongle. There’s no word on the kind of specs that the device will have, but it’ll apparently come with much faster Wi-Fi, as well as a dramatic external redesign.
With the release of the new Apple TV now round the corner, information has begun to surface about Google’s new Chromecast streamer. Leaked pictures and documents obtained by 9to5Google appear to show a dramatic redesign for the new device as it looks to take on the new Apple TV. Alongside a new range of vivid colours, grainy images suggest the new Chromecast looks less like a USB stick than ever, and instead resembles something more like a deflated balloon or key fob. Current reports suggest the device will be announced at a Google event on 29 September, and will also support Spotify’s music-streaming service. It’s not just the device’s aesthetics that have been overhauled. According to the same report, the new Chromecast packs in a range of functions that make it more of a match for the new Apple TV. Sources close to the project have suggested the new model will have faster Wi-Fi, which means it could support 802.11ac where the old model only supported 802.11bgn. Although not confirmed, it’s almost certain Google will do this to keep its streamer up to date.
