Walmart might launch 'Pro' variant of its Google TV competitor
What you need to know
A listing for an unreleased "Onn 4K Pro Streaming Device" has appeared in the Bluetooth SIG database.
It appears to hint at an upcoming streaming device from Walmart that will serve as a more premium Google TV competitor.
Currently, Walmart sells two Google TV streaming sticks: the Onn Google TV Full HD Streaming Device and the Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box.
Walmart's budget electronics brand Onn released two Google TV streaming devices last year, and a third might be on the way. You can choose from either the Onn Google TV Full HD Streaming Device or the Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box today, which retail for $15 and $20, respectively. However, if a new listing in the Bluetooth SIG database is any indication, a more premium option might be on the way, offering "Pro" features while staying in the budget category.
Walmart, officially named Wal-Mart Stores Inc., declared a new product in the Bluetooth SIG database on Tuesday, April 9 (via 91mobiles). The unreleased device is called the "Onn 4K Pro Streaming Device Google TV" and uses the Bluetooth 5.2 spec, hence its inclusion in the Bluetooth SIG database. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is the body that approves and licenses products that use the Bluetooth protocol and brands and hosts a database of licensed products.
It's unclear how Walmart will differentiate the 4K Pro Streaming Device from the existing 4K Streaming Box. The latter device checks several boxes for just $20, including 4K streaming and AV1 decoding support. However, the 4K Streaming Box uses a measly Quad-core Cortex-A35 processor with 2GB of memory and 8GB of storage. An easy way for Walmart to bolster its 4K Pro Streaming Device would be to add more RAM and on-device storage.
Other areas that Walmart could improve on are the streaming box's build quality and port offerings. It's likely that the company will still target the budget market and try to keep the 4K Pro Streaming Device as cheap as possible, though. The two things we know for sure are that the 4K Pro Streaming Device will include a remote and run Google TV, as stated by the Bluetooth SIG product description.
Products typically appear in regulatory or corporate databases, like Bluetooth SIG, when they are nearing an official launch. However, we still don't know when the Onn 4K Pro Streaming Device might debut or how much it will cost.
