Google boosts its product line with TV dongle and tablet

Graeme Parton +

It’s been a busy few weeks for Google, as it recently announced the launch of two major new products – a TV dongle and a new addition to its Nexus tablet line.

The Chromecast is a USB flash drive-sized device which users can plug into the HDMI port on their televisions. It provides access to the features commonly found on high-end smart televisions and will also allow the direct streaming of video content directly from compatible PCs, smartphones and tablets.

While the Chromecast will launch with immediate effect in the U.S., there is no word on an international release date yet.

Interestingly, the dongle has been priced in the U.S. at just $35, or £22 – considerably cheaper than the similarly capable set-top box it released in partnership with Japanese tech giant Sony in 2012.

The dongle release comes shortly after Google unveiled a new upgraded version of the Nexus 7, the latest product in its range of tablets and smartphones. The seven-inch device features a powerful Qualcomm Processor and an improved display resolution. It is set to go on sale in the U.S. on July 30 and the 16GB version will be priced at around £149, £50 less than the 8GB model of the first generation.

The new products are set to help Google to further cement its position near the top of the mobile electronics popularity table. The original Nexus 7, which was released just last year, was the California company’s first foray into the mobile device market and, although it was received extremely well by the tech world, it was a break-even venture in financial terms.

However, the company’s head of Android and Chrome, Sundar Pichai, explained that Google was expecting to make a profit with the new device. He said:

“The new Nexus 7 is designed so that it’s profitable for all the people involved. Retailers, us, everyone included.”

The ways in which people consume visual content has undoubtedly changed with the rise of on-demand services such as Netflix and BBC’s iPlayer, both of which will be readily available on Google’s new devices.