Google kills Chromecast, but support will continue

After eleven years, Google has announced it is phasing out the Chromecast brand and will only sell current versions of the streaming devices while stocks remain.

The technology, which began as a lightweight way to beam content from an Android or Chrome OS device to a TV or speaker, has been engulfed by the Google TV platform, which has with a built-in operating system with its own suite of apps and services.

That all culminated today with the launch of the Google TV Streamer 4K, which has now dropped the Chromecast branding following 2020’s Chromecast with Google TV model.

Google says it’s time to evolve the smart TV platform with support for AI, more integration of smart home devices and more entertainment options than ever. Google says that Chromecast devices will still be available until the current crop has sold out. If you’re wondering what that means for ongoing support for those devices, Google assures that nothing is changing.

“With this, there are no changes to our support policy for existing Chromecast devices, with continued software and security updates to the latest devices,” Google said in a blog post commemorating Chromecast’s impact.

In the post Google wrote: “When we launched Chromecast, most TVs had few (if any) apps, streaming was unreliable and complicated and connecting your TV to your phone, tablet or laptop was clunky and hard.

“Chromecast was our answer to this problem, a simple and affordable way to cast your favorite online content right on your TV screen. It was as easy as plugging in the device and hitting play. Chromecast’s small dongle form factor made it easy to hide behind a TV, and the affordable price made it accessible to millions and the perfect gift for many.”

Thanks for the streams, Chromecast.