Majd Bakar, writing on Google’s blog:

After 11 years and over 100 million devices sold, we’re ending production of Chromecast, which will now only be available while supplies last. The time has now come to evolve the smart TV streaming device category — primed for the new area of AI, entertainment, and smart homes. With this, there are no changes to our support policy for existing Chromecast devices, with continued software and security updates to the latest devices.

Firstly, it’s very Google-like to announce products before a separate hardware event next week, where the company will presumably launch the new Pixel lineup of smartphones. I can’t think of a company in modern history that is this disorganized with its product launches. Not even Samsung, which hosts a few events throughout the year predictably and regularly, and rarely spoils products like this.

Secondly, Google’s replacement for the Chromecast with Google TV is the Google TV Streamer — that’s seriously the name; thanks, Google — which seems like the same product, but with Matter smart home functionality and a new design that is meant to be prominently displayed on a television stand, unlike the dongle-like appearance of the Chromecast. With such minor changes, I don’t even understand why Google opted to axe the popular Chromecast name and brand identity. People know what a Chromecast is and how to use it, just like AirPlay and the Apple TV — what is the point of replacing it with “Google TV Streamer?”

People online are pointing out that Google isn’t really “killing” the Chromecast since it will continue to support them for years to come, but I don’t see a difference. Google is killing the Chromecast brand. How is anyone supposed to take this company seriously when all it does is kill popular products? Clearly, the reason is Gemini, but Google could add Gemini to the Chromecast without destroying its brand reputation. Names matter and brands do matter, too, and if Google keeps killing all of its most popular brands, people aren’t going to trust it anymore. And it’s not like Gemini requires any more processing power than the previous-generation Chromecast, since the new features — image recognition for Nest cameras and a home automation creation tool — run in the cloud, not on-device.

Further reading from Jennifer Pattison Tuohy at The Verge: Google announces the second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, which retains the physical dial from the previous version but now supports Matter, and thus, HomeKit. I’ll buy this one whenever my Ecobee thermostat dies because I loved the rotating dial to control temperature from the previous version, which I owned before I switched to HomeKit. But I’m happy Google didn’t exclude the physical dial — I was certain that would be removed after the shenanigans it pulled with the cheaper model from 2020.