A new device, illustrated in a Federal Communications Commission filing, by Google parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) could be a cheaper version of Chromecast.
What Happened: The mystery device was first noted in the FCC filing by Droidlife. The filing does not confirm that the device is a Chromecast but The Verge Senior News Editor Sean Hollister said the illustrations point to the possibility of it being just that.
Hollister pointed to the Equipment Under Test (EUT) and said it was behind the LCD display in the diagram shared by Google with the FCC. He drew attention to the fact that no cables connected it to the monitor and that the only cable plugged into the EUT was a power cable which was a USB, reported The Verge.
The device also comes with remote control and it was tested for streaming video at 1080p, according to the report.
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Why It Matters: Hollister said it was unlikely that the EUT could be a Nest wireless speaker. He said manufacturers usually don’t submit devices for FCC review until they are relatively close to release.
Google currently sells the Chromecast that comes without a remote for $29.99. There is also a pricier Chromecast with Google TV at $49.99, which is currently on sale at the Google store for $39.99.
The Chromecast with Google TV comes with a voice remote and has the ability to support in-built apps, unlike the cheaper Chromecast that requires a device to stream from various apps.
Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) sells its fire tv stick lite for $29.99 but it was currently listed as unavailable on the e-commerce giant’s website at press time.
Benzinga’s Take: While there is no guarantee that the device in the filing would ever be released, the filing points to the possibility of a cheaper dongle-like Chromecast seeing the light of the day.
Price Action: On Tuesday, Alphabet Class A shares closed 0.3% higher at $2,342.99 in the regular session and fell 0.3% in the after-hours trading. On the same day, the company’s Class C shares rose 0.2% to $2,340.10 in regular trading and fell 0.2% in the after-hours session, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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