Google Chromecast (2018) review: Same as the old Chromecast

The new Google Chromecast was conspicuously absent from the spotlight at Google's recent hardware event. But there was indeed a new, updated version of Google’s streaming dongle; it's just the company decided to roll it out quietly. Spend a few minutes with the new Chromecast and you'll see why the company didn't brag about the refresh at the event — there's really nothing new to brag about.

Looking over the specs of this third-generation Chromecast, I thought a fitting tagline would be, “Meet the new Chromecast, almost the same as the old Chromecast.” Now that I've spend some serious time with the new model, I regret using “almost.”

Don’t get me wrong, the Google Chromecast overall is a fantastic streaming product for $35. It’s cheap, it’s small, it’s cheap, it’s out of the way, and did I mention it’s cheap? Also, I will say that the idea of just throwing content from your phone to your TV screen, aka “casting,” is still really cool if not exactly revolutionary anymore. At the core of what it does, the Google Chromecast works really well. If you don’t have one and you’re looking for an affordable way to stream content to your TV, Chromecast is a really great option.

That being said, I’m someone who already owns the previous model, the second-generation Chromecast. If you’re one of the tens of millions of people who, like me, already own a Chromecast, there’s really not much here for you.

Chromecast evolution

The jump from the first-generation Chromecast released in 2013 to the second-gen model in 2015 was a significant one. It was complete redesign, transforming from a stick to the circular-designed HDMI dongle you’re probably more familiar with.There was also a noticeable change in performance as the older device could be a bit laggy at times. 

In contrast, Google’s 2018 Chromecast is practically the same as the previous model. Save for a few more minor performance and appearance upgrades, you likely wouldn’t even tell the difference. The new third-gen Chromecast still comes in round dongle form, albeit there has been a change from a glossy plastic shell to a matte casing. The logo on the device has also changed from the Chrome graphic to Google’s little ‘G’ logo. While it certainly gives the device a nicer, sleeker look, you’ll rarely even see it, as the device will find its home plugged in to the back of your TV screen on most television sets.

Setting up the Google Chromecast is still quick, easy, and done entirely through the Google Home app on your smartphone. Because your phone is likely already connected to your WiFi network, I didn’t even need to input my WiFi password when setting up the new Chromecast.

While the older Chromecast model streamed at 1080p, one major performance upgrade with this latest version is that it now can stream at 60 frames per second. This fixes the choppiness mentioned in our previous review when it came to watching videogame streams and videos. However, if you’re not typically watching gamer Ninja’s latest Fortnite stream, you really won’t notice a difference. Google also claims the hardware performance of the new Chromecast is 15% faster. It certainly was fast in my testing, but I never really had any issues with my older model running slow. Also, since a Chromecast, by its nature, has no menus to scan through, it's a fairly unnoticeable upgrade.

The Cast Achilles' heel

Speaking of the user interface, one of my main issues with Chromecast has long been the fact that you have to use your phone to run the thing. Yes, I know that’s the point, but that means there’s no on-screen user interface at all, which isn't always the best solution.

Using only your smartphone, you go to whatever video service app you want to watch like Netflix or Hulu and then “cast” the video to your Chromecast-connected TV screen. With other devices like the Apple TV ($149), or — even more analogous to the Chromecast — the Roku Express ($30) or the Amazon Fire Stick ($40), you can pick up the device’s remote and pause what you’re watching, raise and lower the volume, switch to another show or app, whatever! With Chromecast, there’s the extra step of unlocking your phone to change what you want to do on your Chromecast-connected TV set. You control it all from the video player options of the app you’re casting. 

In fact, my biggest pet peeve with Chromecast is that, if you receive a call on your smartphone, it won't automatically pause what you're watching. (It supposedly depends on the app, but in my years casting Netflix, HBO, and YouTube with the previous model, I’ve never seen this happen.) Every time, I’ve had to take the call while whatever I was watching awkwardly played in the background until I could bring up the app for whatever video service I was using to pause it. It’s a choice between that or declining the incoming call, pausing the video, and reaching back out to whoever called me. Annoying.

One new feature that could solve the phone call issue is the addition of Google Assistant to control your Chromecast. You can use your voice for some basic controls, like changing what you want to watch on Netflix or YouTube. It’s limited, but it works. The hiccup here is that you need a Google Home speaker or a phone with Google Assistant for this to even work. If you don’t already own one of those devices, you might as well splurge for a full-featured set-top streaming box like the Apple TV instead of getting these other Google Home devices if all you’re going to really use them for is a workaround for Chromecast’s standalone flaws.

An incremental upgrade

All in all, the new Chromecast is just as good as its predecessor. It’s just as bad, too. It can still be a bit clunky using your phone to cast. If you want to browse movies and shows to watch with your family, be prepared to gather around the smartphone screen, because again there’s no Chromecast menu options for your TV set. I guess you could cast your web browser and look at the web version of Netflix (or whatever service you're using), but that’s an irritating extra step. There’s other little issues like changing the volume on your phone to control your Chromecast-connected TV’s audio, which isn’t always very responsive.

Speaking of sound, multiroom audio support is coming to the Chromecast by the end of the year, but that’s not necessarily a reason to buy this device: it's supposedly rolling out to second-generation Chromecasts, too.

In my opinion, the Google Chromecast is a worthy secondary TV streaming device. However, if you already have one, there’s not a lot of reason to upgrade to this third-generation model — especially if you have the second-gen Chromecast. 

If you purchased a 4K TV since the older Chromecast model came out, the refreshed device isn't the streaming option for you either. Google still has 4K streaming reserved solely for it's more expensive Chromecast device, the now 2-year-old Chromecast Ultra ($69).

However, if you don’t already own a Chromecast and you're not looking to stream 4K content, it’s certainly among the cheapest options to consider. I wouldn’t use it for my living room set where I watch TV socially with family and friends, but when it's perfect for the bedroom and just want to put something on since it's so straightforward.

However, if the lack of an onscreen menu doesn't work for you, there are plenty other similarly priced options nowadays. For example, the Amazon Fire Stick offers all that and is currently only five bucks more than a Chromecast. Oh, right, that’s another thing! Amazon's video app doesn't support Google Cast. So, if you really want to stream some Amazon Prime video, Chromecast may not be the option for you.