The microphones would allow users to issue “Hey Google” commands directly to the streaming device rather than first picking up its remote. <\/p>\n
When no one is actively viewing the television, presence detection might give it a new purpose. Similar technology can automatically show pictures, the time, the weather, and other ambient data when someone enters a room. <\/p>\n
Google has not disclosed the gadget, its cost, or the anticipated debut date. <\/p>\n
However, the claimed additions suggest that this is more than just a standard CPU update. <\/p>\n
Google TV viewers can already ask conversational questions, find entertainment, and receive assistance with topics unrelated to television using Gemini. <\/p>\n
Google’s next streamer may resemble an AI-powered smart-home hub that just so happens to be located underneath the TV if it has microphones and the capacity to identify people in the vicinity. <\/p>\n
Google’s TV Streamer could stop depending on the remote <\/p>\n
As Chromecast’s replacement, the current Google TV Streamer debuted in 2024. <\/p>\n
It was already a significant change. <\/p>\n
The $99.99 gadget was designed to sit prominently next to the TV and serve as a smart-home hub with Matter connectivity and a Thread border router, rather than hiding behind it like Chromecast. <\/p>\n
Google<\/a> TV users can control compatible lights, thermostats, and cameras and see video doorbell notifications without pausing their show. <\/p>\n Google’s purported successor appears to extend that approach. <\/p>\n Microphones that could receive “Hey Google” requests from across the room would be housed in apertures on the gadget itself, according to 9to5Google<\/a>. <\/p>\n Additionally, the business apparently plans to add proximity detection, a faster CPU, and more storage than the 32 gigabytes that the present Streamer has. <\/p>\n The remote is expected to retain a similar design but gain two additional shortcut buttons alongside dedicated YouTube and Netflix controls. <\/p>\n Those aren’t equally important upgrades. <\/p>\n Apps should load more smoothly with additional storage and processing capability. <\/p>\n Presence sensors and microphones can completely alter how users engage with the device. <\/p>\n Related: Google’s AI chip could become a $75 billion business<\/a> <\/p>\n To communicate with Gemini on the current Streamer, users must push the microphone button on the remote. <\/p>\n Gemini could be reached from across the room without first locating anything thanks to the microphones included within the box. <\/p>\n Because of this, Google’s television plan resembles its smart-speaker strategy more and more, with the exception that the AI now has the largest screen in the house. <\/p>\n Gemini is already turning Google TV into more than television <\/p>\n In November 2025, Google began distributing Gemini to the Google TV Streamer. <\/p>\n Gemini can handle conversational requests rather than just simple instructions. <\/p>\n When a couple is looking for something to watch, they may explain their two different preferences and ask Gemini to recommend a film that suits both of them. Someone who doesn’t remember how the previous season of a program ended might ask for a recap. <\/p>\n The assistant may also answer inquiries unrelated to entertainment. <\/p>\n Google<\/a> says Gemini on TV can explain school topics, help with recipes, and walk users through DIY projects using TV videos. <\/p>\n Google has increased such capacities even further in 2026. <\/p>\n Gemini may provide more detailed visual responses, sports-related information, and in-depth voiced analyses of challenging topics. <\/p>\n Additionally, Google<\/a> TV can create pictures and videos straight on the TV, search users’ Google photographs libraries, and convert photographs into slideshows. <\/p>\n This feature increases the significance of the reported microphones. <\/p>\n The TV is now Gemini’s home, but the remote is still the main means to access it. <\/p>\n Far-field microphones may eliminate that barrier. <\/p>\n Another layer is added by presence detection. <\/p>\n Instead of waiting for someone to pick up a remote, the TV may respond when they walk into the room. <\/p>\n TCL has already used presence sensing on a Google TV to activate its Google Photos screensaver and show information such as weather and the time when someone approaches, according to 9to5Google<\/a>. <\/p>\n Put those pieces together and Google’s long-term opportunity becomes clearer. <\/p>\n Gemini, Google Photos, entertainment, and connected-home controls all appear on the TV, which increasingly reacts to its surroundings. <\/p>\n There is one clear issue. <\/p>\n Google has already significantly increased the price of its existing streaming gadget. <\/p>\n The Google TV Streamer<\/a> originally launched for $99.99 in September 2024. <\/p>\n Google raised the U.S. price by $50 to $149.99 on Aug. 31, citing rising component costs. <\/p>\n According to 9to5Google, that represented a 50% price increase for a device that had previously been discounted during holiday sales. <\/p>\n The current 4K Streamer, which has 32GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, is still listed on Google’s<\/a> store for $149.99. <\/p>\n For whatever happens next, it presents an intriguing challenge. <\/p>\n The next model would be more capable with a quicker CPU, greater storage, microphones, and presence detection. <\/p>\n However, they could also make it more difficult to market Google’s streamer as a low-cost replacement for an outdated TV. <\/p>\n Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro, for example, was selling for around $60 in September while offering Google TV and many of the basic capabilities users expect from a modern streaming box. <\/p>\n Google, therefore, needs the next Streamer to justify something more than streaming. <\/p>\n This might be the reason why the purported improvements focus more on AI and smart homes than just video quality. <\/p>\n More Google: <\/p>\n There are many less expensive alternatives to watch Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ on a television than a $149 streaming box. <\/p>\n A room-aware Gemini gadget that manages the home, responds to inquiries, locates pictures, and simultaneously streams Netflix is a different story. <\/p>\n The significance of Google’s next hardware update may depend on this difference. <\/p>\n For years, the business has been putting Gemini on watches, phones, vehicles, and TVs. <\/p>\n The next phase might be more subtle thanks to built-in microphones and proximity tracking; users would not even need to intentionally reach for Gemini. <\/p>\n They may just enter the living room and strike up a conversation. <\/p>\n Related: Google’s $180 Fitbit Edge makes a bet on smartwatch fatigue<\/a> <\/p>\n This story was originally published by TheStreet<\/a> on Oct 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Investing<\/a> section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It’s possible that Google’s next streaming device could detect when you enter a room and let you communicate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":946151,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[15261,45,161,49,48,46,133,1828,1829,74172,1830,1831,39783,8123,131,2519,968,1705,2511,1832,1833,176,74173,3322,61,74174],"class_list":["post-946150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-401k","tag-business","tag-business-news","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-economy","tag-finance","tag-financial-information","tag-investing","tag-investment-tools","tag-investor","tag-market-news","tag-mortgage","tag-mutual-funds","tag-personal-finance","tag-quote","tag-real-estate","tag-retirement","tag-stock","tag-stock-research","tag-stock-valuation","tag-stocks","tag-suze-orman","tag-tax","tag-technology","tag-track-portfolio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/946150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=946150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/946150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/946151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=946150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=946150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=946150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a> Google may be making the remote much less importantLUDOVIC MARIN \/ Getty Images Google’s smarter TV gadget could come with a price problem <\/p>\n