Although clearly a concept, Roel Heyninck’s version of the Google Chromecast 3 is interesting because it actually makes sense. Up until now, the Chromecast has been a pretty shoddily-built bridge between your phone and your television. Using the Chromecast requires using your phone as a remote, which means A. having your phone charged, and B. dealing with lag, as well as streaming problems every time the phone’s locked and then unlocked. The conceptual Chromecast 3 doesn’t face any of those problems because it separates your phone from the multimedia setup once you’ve successfully cast media onto your TV.
The Chromecast 3 isn’t a hockey-puck as much as it’s a hub. Designed with the stylings of the Apple TV box, Heyninck’s Chromecast 3 box looks pretty nifty, and in many ways follows Google’s product and CMF language. The box connects to a television via a single USB-C connection that has the ability to pull power as well as push media (I assume the cable branches into USB and HDMI ports at its other end.)
Using the Chromecast 3 is as simple as pressing the ‘cast’ button on your phone or tablet and forgetting about it. If you want to interact with or navigate through media, the Chromecast 3 comes with a pretty slick remote control that features 4 buttons and a touchpad on the top, and a standby button on the bottom that you can use to switch the TV on or off. Designed to be a much better solution to using your phone as a controller, the Chromecast 3’s remote is handy and even serves as a gaming controller when you hold it horizontally. Could that be hinting at a possible compatibility with Google Stadia? I’m pretty sure Roel Heyninck and I have a shared sense of excitement!
Designer: Roel Heyninck
