Hot on the heels of a rumour that Google is rebranding Android TV as Google TV, an aside has come out claiming that the next hardware dongle running Google TV will feature Nest branding and a revamped interface.
This seems to line up since it would make sense for Google to refresh the hardware, branding and software all at the same time. The report is scarce on details, but it seems like a toss-up if this new Google TV software will replace Android TV on older smart TVs and streaming devices or if it will be exclusive to Google or Nest products like the company’s smartphone software on Pixel devices.
Either way, it’s still interesting to see Google add a TV enabled device to the Nest lineup. Hopefully, this helps people see it as a smart product that you use voice controls for, similar to the Amazon Fire TV Cube.
The leaks also state that the Nest TV device will be a dongle like the Chromecast, but if prior Android TV hardware leaks are any indication, it will be a bit larger. On the plus side, it’s also going to come with a remote, so you don’t always have to start media with voice controls, your phone or a computer.
The interface is set to change drastically in Nest TV with a content-focused layout instead of app-focused. Many other smart TV makers have been slowly pushing this way. The Fire TV interface is a jumble of apps, shows, movies and live content and Apple has been slowly turning its Apple TV app into a one-stop-shop for finding content.
The report says that people will still be able to access streaming apps like Netflix, Spotify and Disney+, so it will be interesting to see how heavy-handed Google’s content-first strategy is.
Source: Protocol
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