A new Chromecast with Google TV device is in the works

According to 9to5Google, who has apparently had eyes on a document directly from Google itself, a new Chromecast with Google TV device is being prepared for mass production and release. Apparently, this “Android-powered device” is codenamed Boreal (Boreal means “of the north or northern region, or very cold perhaps like a Hailstorm) and is directly related via software to the Chromecast with Google TV device currently on the market, a.k.a. “Sabrina”.

At this time, 9to5 has no idea what the specifications for this new device would be, leaving us completely without information beyond their report as well, but one thing is for sure – Google will likely be looking to make improvements on the original hardware’s processing power, storage, and more.

Think about it – the current setup already lacks storage enough to enjoy it to its fullest potential, and user profiles have yet to roll out, but once they do, several users will be installing their own apps. Not to mention that these apps will likely be running simultaneously if multiple users remain logged in.

While the Chromecast with Google TV will likely freeze or shut down all apps and services for one user while another takes over upon launch of these profiles, there could still be other reasons why the company would want to release a higher-specced device. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until we hear more in order to see what those reasons could be, but many users have already let Google know they want something more powerful and capable for today’s modern smart TV experience.

The only real information we have on this new Google TV dongle that will apparently use the Chromecast branding is that it’s likely due out sometime this year, perhaps at Google’s next hardware event. We could see something akin to how the Chromecast Ultra co-existed alongside the standard Chromecast and offered an improved experience at a marked-up price point for users who wanted a bit more bang for their buck.

We’d be interested in knowing your thoughts in the comments below. Do you think you’d be interested in upgrading your Chromecast with Google TV just a year into its life cycle if it offered twice the storage, horsepower, and so on, or are you sticking with what you’ve got for the basics? With Android 12 coming to the Nvidia Shield TV and TV Pro with loads of bugs, I would imagine Google’s team will have squashed them before injecting the OS update into its own tech at launch.