Google wasn't short on new products today, and adding to the confusion the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel Slate, Home Hub, and other devices aren't all shipping at the same time. If you've been trying to figure out just when your credit card will take a beating, how much it'll be for, and when you'll see the fruits of treating yourself, we've got you covered. Read on for the key availability and pricing details.
Joining its more exciting announcements today, Google has also taken the wraps off its latest and greatest Chromecast model. The third-generation version of its casting device sports a clean new look with a simple 'G' logo, though features and form factor largely remain the same. The company did slip a couple notable changes into the new model, though.
With just a week left before Google's big hardware event of the year, all the leaks and even official teasers are falling into place. Unless there is actually no notch on the Pixel 3 XL, there might be nothing to surprise us when the actual reveals come. Especially thanks to leaks like this that leave no stone unturned, even product bundles that seem to offer nothing new until you take a closer look.
Google's big October Pixel 3 event may not be for another week, but the 3rd Gen Chromecast we're expecting to see debut there has already shown up in the wild. The new version of Google's streaming TV adapter isn't meant to make its official appearance until October 9th, but it seems more than one retailer has pulled the trigger early.
A new Google Chromecast is in the pipeline, with the specs of the updated streaming device previewed in recently-revealed test filings. Expectations for the streamer are fairly low, though if you've found yourself frustrated by wireless hiccups when trying to beam higher-resolution video it might still be enough to tempt you into upgrading.
As we reported earlier today, many Google Home and Chromecast users experienced an outage today that left them unable to use their devices. Google Home smart speakers warned impacted users that "there was a glitch," advising them to try again. When the user tried again, though, the same issue surfaced. Chromecast devices, meanwhile, failed to stream content to displays.
Google Home and Chromecast are both down, with widespread reports from users that their smart speakers won't work and their streaming adapters won't stream. Saying "Ok Google" to a Google Home speaker, for instance, gets the response that "there was a glitch, try again in a few seconds."
Netflix has been pushing out a bunch of relatively minor but welcomed updates over the last couple weeks, not the least of which is newly added support for skipping introductions on shows via Chromecast. The skip intro button has already been made available on most other platforms that support Netflix, such as smart TVs, enabling users to bypass long or repetitive intros and go straight to the content.
Google has a habit of teasing many things and then sometimes forgetting about them as time passes. At the I/O developer conference last year, it showed off what would practically become the precursor to the new breed of Assistant-powered smart displays unveiled last CES. It teased how asking Google Home would, at times, pop up the answer on a Chromecast-connected TV. That feature has finally arrived and now you can enjoy actually seeing the weather rather than waiting for Google Assistant to finish rattling off other information.
Google has recently come under fire for the buggy, or at the very least annoying, behavior of its new hardware. But who would have expected it would also botch it’s already existing, even old, devices as well. That’s what owners of Google Cast-enabled devices and the almost ancient Nexus Player discovered at the start of the new year, when they suddenly found themselves unable to use said devices properly. Fortunately, the fix is now out after Google has seemingly fast-tracked its own beta testing process to address these issues.
VLC, the beloved media app that can play just about any video or music format you throw at it, has finally received Chromecast support on Android. With this support, Android device users can stream local media content from their phone or tablet to a display with the Chromecast, arguably the easiest way to stream your own video files to a TV. The feature isn't perfect, though.
Google has lately received a lot of flak for its buggy or, at the very least less than stellar, hardware. The Pixel 2 XL has a litany of faults, and the newer Google Home Mini and the Google Home Max aren’t spotless either. This time, however, users are reporting problems not with new Google products but with ones that have been in the market for years at most. Owners of the Google Chromecast and the original Google Home report getting Wi-Fi drops, but the problem is more complex than it seems.