Summary
- Google has finally stopped selling the 4K and HD Chromecast through the Google Store.
- The $100 Google TV Streamer replaced the Chromecast lineup in August 2024.
- You may still be able to buy a Chromecast from a third-party retailer.
The Google TV Streamer debuted in early August, packing more powerful internals and a higher price tag. With the launch, Google also killed off its Chromecast lineup — more than 11 years after its 2013 release. Despite being discontinued, the company continued selling its more affordable streaming sticks through its online store in the US. Over six months later, it appears Google has finally exhausted its Chromecast stock, as it is no longer available for purchase on the Google Store.
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Google has updated the listings of Chromecast with Google TV 4K and HD versions with “No longer available.” This was inevitable after the company relegated the streaming sticks to the Google Store’s dungeon, moving them to a less visible Entertainment page. 9to5Google reports that Google was selling the 4K and HD Chromecasts up until early this week.
You can probably still buy the streaming stick from third-party retailers like Best Buy or Amazon, but even they are likely to run out of stock sooner rather than later.
Google discontinuing Chromecast sales doesn’t make your unit obsolete. The company has confirmed that it will update the streaming sticks to Android 14, though there’s no timeline for when that will happen.
Even beyond Android 14, the 4K Chromecast is slated to receive security updates until September 2025, while Google promises updates until September 2025 for the Chromecast HD.
Google TV Streamer is worth the price
The Google TV Streamer is Google’s most expensive streaming stick at $100, costing twice as much as the 4K Chromecast. But it is worth the price for its powerful internals, which include a MediaTek chipset and 4GB RAM, along with Thread networking support. This should ensure the Streamer ages much better than the 4K and HD Chromecasts.
Besides a higher price tag, the Google TV Streamer has a set-top box-like design, unlike the dongle-shaped Chromecast.
Despite some limitations, like a missing HDMI cable in the box and Wi-Fi 6 support, the Google TV Streamer delivers an experience that Chromecasts’ never could. The latter always felt limited due to its slow internals and limited storage space. The TV Streamer ships with a better remote, featuring a built-in speaker for Find My Remote support and a customizable button.