What you need to know
- Google's upcoming Android TV dongle, codenamed "Sabrina," has appeared at the FCC.
- The device is expected to be a successor to the Chromecast Ultra.
- The FCC filings suggest Google could be gearing up to formally unveil it very soon.
A report from XDA Developers had revealed in June that Google was working on a new Android TV dongle codenamed "Sabrina." The upcoming device has now appeared in FCC filings, which suggests it could be announced soon.
As spotted by the folks at 9to5Google, the FCC filings reveal two new Google devices with model numbers GZRNL and G9N9N. While GZRNL is listed as an "Interactive Media Streaming Device," the device with model number G9N9N is described as a "Wireless Device" on the FCC website. The descriptions suggest the GZRNL device could be "Sabrina," while G9N9N is likely to be its remote control. Unsurprisingly, the FCC filings do not reveal any key details about the upcoming Android TV dongle, except that it will have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
The massive leak in June had revealed that the device will feature an Amlogic S905X2 chipset, which uses four ARM Cortex-A53 cores and an ARM Mali-G31 MP2 GPU. It supports up to 4K videos with support for HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision standards. Google's upcoming Android TV dongle is expected to have support for an Auto Low-Latency Mode as well, which suggests the device will include Stadia support.
Since Google is rumored to launch the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 smartphones on September 30, it is possible that "Sabrina" will also be unveiled alongside the new Pixels sometime next month.
NVIDIA Shield Android TV
The NVIDIA Shield Android TV is among the most impressive streaming devices on the market right now, supporting 4K HDR streaming and GeForce NOW. It is powered by a powerful Tegra X1+ chipset and comes with built-in Google Assistant as well.
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