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Google has raised the price of the Google TV Streamer 4K in the United States. The device, which replaced the Chromecast brand in the company's lineup, now costs $150 instead of the previous $100. That’s a 50 percent price increase, and the change has been announced so far only for the U.S. market. Google says the hike is due to rising component costs. People planning to buy can still find the device at the old price, but that could change quickly.
Google TV Streamer becomes significantly more expensive
Google announced a price increase for the Google TV Streamer 4K, initially affecting the U.S. market. As of August 31 the device's price rose from $100 to $150. That represents an exact 50 percent increase over the previous price. The company told 9to5Google that the change is due to rising component costs. Google also says it remains committed to delivering feature updates for its devices. The Google TV Streamer is a small device that brings the Google TV platform to a screen. The product therefore serves a similar role to earlier Chromecast devices, although Google positions it as the successor to that line. The price hike is not unique in the media player market. Apple TV 4K prices have risen by as much as 67 percent, Roku raised prices by up to 60 percent, and Amazon Fire TV by up to 43 percent. Even larger changes affect Walmart's Onn devices, where increases reached as much as 102 percent. According to sources, the common reason for these changes is rising memory chip costs.
Price may rise in other countries too
So far Google has officially announced the increase for the United States, but a similar change could appear in other countries. A source predicts that prices for the Google TV Streamer may soon go up outside the U.S. as well. In some markets the device can still be bought at the previous price. In the United States the Google TV Streamer is still available for $100 on Amazon. Outside the U.S., the product can be found at the previous prices from Google and selected retail partners. It is unclear, however, how long sellers will keep the old prices. If the hike is introduced in additional markets, current stock could be the last chance to buy the device cheaper. The Google TV Streamer itself was not previously seen as particularly inexpensive hardware. In a 2024 review FlatpanelsHD called it a decent streaming player but noted its relatively high price compared with the hardware used. The new $150 price could therefore further worsen its price-to-performance ratio.
The Google TV Streamer 4K has gone up in price in the U.S., from $100 to $150, a 50 percent increase. Google points to rising component costs as the reason for the hike. The device may still be available at the old price in other markets, but similar changes could also occur outside the United States. If Google decides to extend the increase to more countries, buying before the price change could be significantly more advantageous.
source: flatpanelshd
