While today has become known as “Pixel Day” for a lot of people out there, we have seen our fair share of more than just the Pixel and Pixel XL. Google finally let us know when we should expect the Google Home to be available, and for how much, and we also said hello to a new WiFi router. A product that we also thought was going to get something of an upgrade was the Chromecast, and with the announcement of the Chromecast Ultra, Google have gone ahead and confirmed those rumors. With little in the way of design changes from the last generation of Chromecast devices, this new model is all about streaming content in 4K, while also offering users on a budget a great option. Of course, like any good Google product, people are wondering when they’ll be able to get their hands on it.
As we covered earlier, the Chromecast Ultra is all about being able to stream content to your TV in 4K, and as such the power adapter will support Ethernet, allowing users to tap into better connections. It’s also 1.8x faster than the previous model, and it also features much better WiFi, too. Google Play Movies will shortly start airing movies in 4K as well, and of course 4K YouTube willw ork well with the new Chromecast Ultra.
Google hasn’t announced full availability all over the world just yet, as some regions do take a little longer than others to see new releases from Google. They have however, announced that the new Chromecast Ultra will be available in regions where the existing Chromecasts have gone on sale during November. Specifically, the Chromecast Ultra will be $69 but will vary in cost depending on where you are in the world. Here in the United States, Google has set a price of $69, while those in Europe will be looking at something similar and our friends across the pond in the UK a similar price as well. These are all prices similar to last year’s, but having the ability to stream in 4K is something that has clearly put the price up a little bit. Even so, compared to the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which does not allow streaming in 4K, Google still has a competitive piece of hardware on their hands.