While it didn’t merit any mention at the ‘Made By Google 2018’ event, the new 3rd Generation Google Chromecast is now available online (Google Store) and in retail stores. It is priced at $35 or £30, the same as previous generations and arrives in Chalk (White) and Charcoal (Black) colours.
The 3rd generation Google Chromecast is up to 15 percent faster than the 2nd generation model; hence supports streaming in 1080p at up to 60 frames per second. It also maintains the same build as the 2nd generation but the design is slightly different (Chrome has been replaced with G).
The micro USB port remains but there is no support for 4K Ultra HD streaming (which is available on the Chromecast Ultra) and Android TV is not built-in. It streams content (music and videos) from compatible services such as YouTube, YouTube Music, Spotify and Netflix.
For voice control, it comes with Google Assistant built-in (accessible with any Google Home and Google Assistant devices) and the ‘Live Albums’ feature on Google Photos allows the user stream photos of people, pets and more live on the TV’s display. The ability to add the Chromecast to speaker groups will be added later this year.
