In 2013, Google introduced Chromecast, a small streaming dongle that allows users to play or cast videos or music from their phones and other devices on a large screen. It works by connecting to the TV’s HDMI port and adds several functions.
However, a recently updated Google support page states that support for the 1st gen Chromecast has officially ended and that it will no longer receive software updates or security patches. The tech giant also added that it will no longer provide technical support for the device and users might experience degradation in performance.
The first generation Chromecast was a portable device that looked like a key with an HDMI port on one side, a micro-USB port for power delivery on the other end and the ‘Google Chrome’ logo on the top. The decade-old dongle could stream videos in HD and came with 2GB of flash storage and 512MB RAM. The 2013 Chromecast received its last update in November last year after three years and improved device performance and fixed some bugs.
Since then, Goole has updated the device, with the second and third generations launched in 2016 and 2018 respectively. The latest version of the device – Chromecast with Google TV (HD) was launched in September last year and introduced the Google TV interface powered by Android 10. It offers 8GB storage and unlike the original Chromecast, is a standalone device with a dedicated remote.