Chromecast with Google TV Successor Could Launch Later this Year

The Chromecast with Google TV debuted only a year and a half ago, but a successor is reportedly in the pipeline already. The search giant is rumored to introduce an upgraded Chromecast with Google TV later this year.

Internal documentation and code analysis confirm the device’s existence, codenamed “Boreal”. The streaming dongle could significantly upgrade the existing Chromecast with Google TV, though its specifications are unknown.

New processing power and AV1 video format support may be in the cards. The latter, in particular, is being reportedly required by Google to be present in newer Android TV models, per XDA Developers. However, Google’s current streaming device does not support the AV1 format.AV1 codec should minimize bandwidth requirements when streaming videos without significantly compromising quality. It is a royalty-free format, unlike previous standards that were costly to license, such as AVC

It remains unclear, though, whether the rumored dongle is a successor to one of the best streaming devices or simply a higher-end model. But seeing as the device has a new internal codename, we could be looking at a replacement. We can only hope that Google will also address the current Chromecast major flaw in the upcoming dongle.