Look, we absolutely love Google hardware. Seriously. Collectively, we have owned every single piece of hardware that has come out of Mountain View. (Well, not Clips because… well… Clips.) That said, there are times when it just doesn’t make sense to spend money on a brand name when there are comparable products available for a fraction of the price. Google’s own Chromecast w/Google TV has become a perfect example of that exact scenario. Don’t get me wrong. The latest streaming dongle from Google offers just about everything any self-respecting cord-cutter needs and it does so at the very respectable price of $50.
However, there’s another streaming stick on the market that does exactly the same thing as Google’s own Chromecast and does so for a significantly cheaper price. If you’ve ever passed through the electronics section at Walmart, you’ve likely seen a plethora of products carrying the onn. name. onn. is an exclusive in-house brand manufactured just for Walmart and over the years, the brand has expanded into numerous verticals and actually pump out some decent, budget-friendly electronics. The Android TV stick from onn. happens to be a shining star among the sea of budget-minded products from the brand. Here’s a closer look from Robby’s review.
TL;DR
The onn. Android TV stick in the 4K flavor, retails for $20 less than the Chromecast w/Google TV and does practically the exact same thing with the exception of some minor UI differences. What’s more, I personally like Walmart’s take on the remote way better than Google’s which is too small, and the overly rounded back makes it very awkward to hold. Anyway, this is one of those rare times that I am going to recommend you go with something other than Google’s hardware. If the $20 discount isn’t enough to convince you, it now appears that Walmart has permanently dropped the price of the 4K Android TV device down to a mere $19.88. That’s an insanely low price for a device that does this much and in case you skipped the review video above, the onn. dongle works with Stadia just like Google’s Chromecast. You can even use the onn. remote to control the Chromecast you may already have. This is a great product for very little money. Buy one now. Thank me later.
- 4K resolution TV streaming
- Easy setup with your Google account
- Plugs into your TV’s HDMI port
- Android TV
- Dolby audio
- 4K Ultra High-definition resolution
- WiFi: 2.4/5GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO
- Input: AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz, 250mA MAX; Output: DC 5V/1A
