If you’re in the market for a new Google TV streaming device, Walmart’s new Onn. 4K Pro streaming box is going to deliver the most bang for your buck and is the one we’d recommend getting right now but you might want to wait to purchase. As we reported soon after devices started showing up in stores, many customers have been getting home and finding out that the remote in their box doesn’t match what’s shown on Walmart’s website. Now a Walmart representative has provided us with a statement to explain what’s been going on exactly.
This ‘two remote mystery’ started after I read a few other outlets reporting that the Onn. 4K Pro remote featured a large “Free TV” button. After doing some digging and consulting with a few of our Chrome Unboxed Plus members who had already received their devices, it was clear that Walmart was stocking shelves with two separate remotes. One “premium” remote featured backlighting and the blue “Free TV” button and another one without either of these features. The device that we received was, to my disappointment, the non-premium remote without backlighting.
I’ve said all along that I hoped the official version was the one with backlighting and the “Free TV” button. With a backlit remote, you can easily find buttons in the dark without fumbling around and the “Free TV” button is a nice touch for those budget-conscious consumers who don’t want to pay for YouTube TV. But at the $49 price point, I had accepted that maybe Walmart just accidentally shipped these premium remotes.
So, we reached out to Walmart for clarification, and to my surprise, a representative said the backlight version is officially the one that will be available with the Onn. 4K Pro streaming box. It turns out that the first wave of devices shipped with the non-backlit version, but the backlit version will be “available with the product soon.” As of now, Walmart’s website still shows the non-backlit remote.
Is it a huge deal if you’ve already picked up the Onn. 4K Pro without premium remote? Not really. Both remotes still have the customizable star button and the handy “Find my remote” feature. But, if you’re interested in this new streaming box and want the more premium remote, you might want to wait a bit until the listing on Walmart’s website shows the remote with the blue “Free TV” button in the middle.
So there you have it, the ‘two remote mystery’ has officially been solved. The Walmart representative didn’t provide a timeline for when the “first wave” of devices would be cleared out but I’m hoping it’s sooner than later. Let us know in the comments below if you’ve picked up the Onn. 4K Pro and which remote you received.
