Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Newly released patent shows the Google Chromecast that could have been

Lulu Chang
By

google chromecast ultra 2016
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Coulda, woulda, shoulda, but Google didn’t do that — where “that” is electing a slightly sleeker, sexier design for its second-generation Chromecast. While the latest version of the streaming device has already been out and about in the public eye for over a year, Google recently revealed a patent filed in 2015 that shows off a different design for a “media streaming device” bearing the Chrome logo and integrated power cord. So yeah, it’s safe to say that this is the Chromecast that didn’t quite make it to market.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Don’t believe us quite yet? As 9to5google points out, there are a number of other clues that would suggest the recently revealed patent could’ve been the blueprint for the Chromecast. First of all, the patent was filed very close to the launch date of the Google device, and one of the descriptions in the patent reads, “a perspective view of a media streaming device showing our new design.”

Recommended Videos

Then, there are also the folks credited with the device’s design. Kristen Beck is listed as one of the inventors, and she led the Google’s “Living Room” team, which, lo and behold, was responsible for hardware products, including the Chromecast. Michael Sundermeyer also appears on the patent as a designer — Sundermeyer is Director of UX for Google Home products, and you can actually find the second-generation Chromecast as an example of recent work on his website.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Finally and perhaps most tellingly is an old image that Google shared when it was first teasing customers about the new Chromecast way back in 2015. In this photo, we can see a number of sketches that bear a striking resemblance to the images found in the patent. But alas, as we all know all too well, this is not the design Google ultimately opted for.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Google Pixel Fold 2: news, rumored price, release date, and more
A person holding the Google Pixel Fold.

Though Samsung is the brand that is best known for foldables in the U.S., that’s changed in recent years, with Google and other brands joining the fray. The Google Pixel Fold was Google’s first foldable, and it had a relatively strong start.

We’re expecting a second generation of Google’s Pixel Fold in 2024, and from the looks of things, it’s shaping up to be a strong sequel. Here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel Fold 2 so far.
Google Pixel Fold 2: release date

Read more
The Google Pixel 8a’s release just got a lot closer
Possible renders showing the Google Pixel 8a.

Google Pixel fans, it's almost time to open up your wallets. Rumors and leaks regarding the Google Pixel 8a have been floating around online for months, and now the phone has taken a big step closer to its official release.

On March 18, Google submitted four new smartphone models to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Getting FCC approval is required of smartphone companies before they can sell a smartphone in the U.S., and it's usually one of the last big leaks we see for a phone before its official unveiling. In this case, the four model numbers submitted by Google include G8HHN, G6GPR, G576D, and GKV4X.

Read more
The Google Pixel Fold 2 could get a massive display upgrade
A game running on the Google Pixel Fold's open screen.

It seems Google’s next foldable phone will go big — quite literally. According to Ross Young of DSCC (which is now a part of industry analysis heavyweight Countepoint Research), the screen size of the Pixel Fold 2 will be bigger than what other leaks have suggested.

When the first set of Pixel Fold 2 leaks came out with alleged renders, they predicted a 7.9-inch inner foldable screen. Young writes in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the inner flexible panel measures 8.02 inches, which is a major bump compared to the 7.6-inch OLED panel on the first-gen Google Pixel Fold.

Read more