The rumored ‘Google TV Streamer’ might fall short at competing with the Apple TV

What you need to know

• Google may be gearing up to release a streaming box called the Google TV Streamer, according to 9to5Google.
• The upcoming device’s specs may have been revealed in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
• While the form factor matches that of the Apple TV, the specs might signal that the Google TV Streamer isn’t a high-end device.

There have been plenty of rumblings about the future of Google TV over the last few months. First, we learned that a Chromecast with Google TV 4K successor was imminent. Then, Walmart’s sub-brand Onn launched a new Google TV 4K Pro device, and it quickly became the best Google TV box you can buy. Now, we know that the Chromecast with Google TV 4K replacement isn’t another streaming stick — it’s a streaming box, more akin to the Apple TV.

9to5Google first uncovered the existence of a new set-top box, dubbed the “Google TV Streamer.” Unlike most streaming boxes, which have a small surface area and a taller design, the Google TV Streamer is like a flat wedge. It looks like it’ll fit into the Google Home and Google Nest ecosystems well since it looks like part of a Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max. If you imagine hard enough, you can even spot the resemblance to the Pixel Tablet speaker dock, as 9to5Google pointed out.

The Google TV Streamer would mark a shift in Google's strategy and streaming efforts. The entire point of its streaming sticks was to conveniently plug into the back of a TV and stay out of the way. Products like the Chromecast with Google TV HD and Chromecast with Google TV 4K were made to be relatively cheap, low-powered, and virtually invisible once installed.

By comparison, the Google TV Streamer isn’t trying to be hidden. It looks like one of the larger streaming boxes we’ve seen lately, at least in terms of service area. It also could be trying to provide more power and a premium feature set. Early reports about the Chromecast with Google TV 4K revealed that the product’s successor would almost certainly include a chip upgrade, perhaps with more RAM and storage. Now, the new form factor for the Google TV Streamer likely means it would offer more ports.

That much may have been confirmed in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) first spotted by 9to5Google . The FCC ID, HFS-GRS6B, is associated with Quanta Computer, Inc. — not Google. However, as 9to5Google notes, Quanta Computer has produced Google products in the past, including the Pixelbook, Pixel Slate, and Pixelbook Go.

The filing notes that there is at least an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a USB-C port. The wireless device referenced in the listing runs Android since the Android Debug Bridge was used for testing. Additionally, it features a Thread radio that can be used to interact with other smart devices.

That makes the Google TV Streamer sound like a higher-end version of the Chromecast with Google TV 4K, but there are other attributes that point to the contrary. For example, the Wi-Fi 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n and Wi-Fi 5GHz 802.11a/n/ac support referenced in the regulatory filing is far from the latest and greatest. There also isn’t ultra-wideband (UWB) support mentioned, which would prevent the Google TV Streamer from working with software features like Tap to Cast.

The Google TV Streamer will have to prove it can compete with Apple TV

Now that the Google TV Streamer appears to be taking the set-top box form factor, the Apple TV is a natural competitor. Apple’s streaming box uses Apple silicon chips that are old, but still dwarfs the low-end processors found in current Chromecast streaming sticks. That helps the Apple TV 4K play games, deliver solid software experiences, and support plenty of video and audio formats. Apple’s form factor also supports Ethernet for faster streaming speeds.

It’s nice to see that Google may be following suit by offering more ports on the rumored Google TV Streamer. Ethernet is a huge plus, and facilitates a better experience overall. You won’t have to worry about buffering while trying to watch video content, or whether your Google TV box is too far away from your router. A wired internet connection still trumps wireless, and that’s why Ethernet would be a great addition to Google’s next streaming device.

However, there are reasons to be concerned about Google’s ability to compete with the Apple TV. For starters, we don’t know what processor will be inside the Google TV Streamer, and that will have a big impact on real-world performance. Plus, the omission of modern Wi-Fi specifications and UWB support makes me wonder what kind of price point the Google TV Streamer will target. Is it a higher-end Google TV device, or is it just a Chromecast with Google TV replacement in a different form?

The answer to that question might determine whether the Google TV Streamer will give the Apple TV a run for its money. Google has an event coming up shortly, so here’s to hoping we see more about the company’s smart home plans there. We’re looking forward to potentially seeing a Google TV Streamer debut, but a revamp of the Google Home and Nest product lines would be nice, too.