Top Stories: Apple TV vs Chromecast w/ Google TV, Pixel 5a camera sample leak, Android 12 Developer Preview 3, and more.
This week, Apple hosted a hardware event where, among other things, they revealed a new $179 Apple TV. The company touted that the new Apple TV could do things that “smart TVs don’t,” a claim which our Ben Schoon put to the test against the Chromecast with Google TV — a full system which costs less than the new $59 Siri Remote for Apple TV. The redesigned remote is a huge improvement from previous Apple TV models, but it’s a bit hilarious that the new design is so remarkably similar to what Google shipped with its latest Chromecast. While Google’s design is made from recycled plastic instead, it has a similar physical button layout and the same ability to turn off your TV, as well as adjusting and muting the volume. As an added bonus, the Chromecast remote will let you switch inputs in case you need to switch over to a game console or other HDMI device. Meanwhile, in Made by Google hardware news, Google shared a gallery of images this week that demonstrate the AI-powered “HDR+ with bracketing” on Pixel phones.
