The new Google Chromecast frees itself from your phone

For years the Google Chromecast has represented the easiest and cheapest way to turn an old TV into a smart one, and we love it for that. But Google wants its trusty dongle to grow up. While it remains a compact little thing and still plugs into your TV’s HDMI port, the new Chromecast is no longer dependent on your smartphone or tablet to stream content. Once in your TV, the deceptively diminutive Chromecast can on its own stream films in up to 4K HDR at 60fps, with Dolby Vision support and Dolby Audio passthrough. It’s powered by Android TV and runs on a new software platform called Google TV (also coming to all Android TVs), which much like Apple TV groups together your entertainment across multiple streaming platforms, making it easy to find what you want to watch. Naturally, Google Assistant is on board, and lives within a brand new dedicated remote. We told you the Chromecast is a proper streamer now. Google’s AI can point you towards something to watch when you’re feeling overwhelmed with telly, while a built-in Google Photos app gives you something to look at when you’re bored of Netflix. And if you want to cast, old-school, from your phone, you still can. You can pre-order the Chromecast with Google TV from today for £60, with arrivals expected mid-October.