Google will unveil a new 4K Chromecast at an event on Oct. 4, according to prolific electronic device leaker Evan Blass.
Citing a person familiar with the company's plans, Blass wrote that the new streaming stick will be called the Chromecast Ultra. Blass's leaked photo, posted to VentureBeat, shows a round, jet-black device with a short HDMI cable that looks very similar to the Chromecasts currently on sale.
This is the 4K Google Chromecast Ultra https://t.co/mvRTqcsMn3 pic.twitter.com/5DUO91Z0a8 — Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 26, 2016
A rumor earlier this month about the 4K Chromecast suggested that it will retail for $69, according to Android Police. Although that's nearly double the price of the current Chromecast, it's still less than many competitors charge, including Roku's new $79 Premiere, which can stream in 4K at 60fps.
The Chromecast's difference is that it likely won't stream on its own: as with current models, you'll need to connect a Google Cast-enabled smartphone, tablet, or PC via Wi-Fi.
Blass also noted that there's a possibility Google may eventually abandon the Chromecast name: a new version of the Chromecast firmware available to beta testers does not contain the current Chromecast logo. Instead, there's Google's stylized "G" logo, which also appears in Blass's photo of the rumored Chromecast Ultra.
The Chromecast isn't Google's only hardware line expected to get attention on Oct. 4. The company is also expected to unveil an in-house Daydream VR viewer design, which might be called the Daydream View, and share full details about Google Home, a new connected home device the Web giant first announced at its I/O developer conference in May.