Google hasn’t exactly been prolific when it comes to pushing out streaming dongles like the Chromecast with Google TV, and it sounds as though the next fully featured streaming box running Google TV could come from US retailer Walmart.
YouTube streamer SuperDell-TV (via Android Authority) has managed to get hold of an Onn 4K Pro box running Google TV. Onn is the name of Walmart’s own tech brand, and it already sells a basic $20 streaming box with the same moniker attached.
It seems that Walmart may have inadvertently put some of these new boxes on sale ahead of any official announcement, with a retail price of $50. That suggests a boost in specs and features over the current box to justify the higher price.
There’s a HDMI port, a USB-A port, and an Ethernet port around the back, as per this early unboxing. There’s also a built-in microphone (with a physical off switch), to work with Google Assistant.
Specs appeal
A shot of the specs on the packaging reveals a quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU, 32GB of storage, and 3GB of RAM, as well as support for 4K streaming and Wi-Fi 6. The Onn streaming box that Walmart currently sells has a Cortex-A35 CPU, 8GB of storage, and 2GB of RAM, and only goes as high as Wi-Fi 5, though it does support 4K.
The extra processor power and RAM should mean faster app loading and app switching, while offering four times the storage obviously means more space for installing apps. You’ll also be able to beam audio and video over from phones, tablets, and computers.
One other change from the current $20 box: the remote is black rather than white. SuperDell-TV also runs through a quick demo of the Google TV interface, which is mostly the same as it is on other Google TV devices.
Given that this box was picked up at an actual Walmart store, a full launch can’t be far off – and the likes of Google, Amazon, and Roku will have another affordable streaming box to contend with. The next official Chromecast device, meanwhile, is rumored to be showing up soon too.