The TV Streamer integrates the company's Gemini multimodal AI and functions as a smart home hub. — Screenshot from YouTube
It’s official – Chromecast will be the latest addition to Google's graveyard of discontinued products, joining other projects such as Google Stadia and Google Cardboard.
In a blog post, Google announced that it is ending production of the dongle after 11 years, saying that no more will be sold once supplies run out.
Chromecast will be replaced by the Google TV Streamer, which will launch on Sept 24 for US$99.99 (RM450), though it is currently uncertain if and when it will be making its way to Malaysian shores.
It’s a TV box integrated with the company's Gemini multimodal artificial intelligence (AI), which also functions as a smart home hub.
Google cites the development of technology and increasing integration of Google Cast in TVs as among the reasons for Chromecast being discontinued.
"When we launched Chromecast, most TVs had few (if any) apps, streaming was unreliable and complicated, and connecting your TV to your phone, tablet or laptop was clunky and hard.
"Chromecast was our answer to this problem, a simple and affordable way to cast your favourite online content right on your TV screen.
"Since then, technology has evolved dramatically. Streaming and smart TVs abound. We invested heavily in embedding Google Cast technology into millions of TV devices, including Android TV," it says.
Chromecast, launched in Malaysia in 2015, was a streaming device that plugged into a TV's HDMI port, effectively turning it into a smart TV and allowed users to play audio and video content from their smartphones, computers, or Google Home devices wirelessly.
