Google’s Pixel 5 event is scheduled for this Wednesday, but some of the company’s other new gadgets are already appearing on store shelves. That includes its all-new Chromecast, which some savvy buyers have been able to purchase directly in-store from retailers like Walmart and The Home Depot over the course of the last week.
The Verge has purchased one such device from The Home Depot and can confirm the retailer is not stopping customers from checking out and taking the pre-release product home.
Not all stores appear to be selling the item; we tried two and only found the new Chromecast at a second location. And inputting the universal product code listed on the receipt into the retailer’s website returns no results, so it would appear you can only purchase it early in person.
The receipt doesn’t even say Chromecast on it; it just lists the device as “SABRINA-ABBEY ROCK CANDY,” which is the hardware’s codename (and another clue that the Chromecast is being sold ahead of schedule). Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
We’ve seen plenty about the new streaming dongle pop up in leaks, including its new oval design and Google’s first dedicated Chromecast remote. But thanks to these early sales, we’re getting a whole lot more information than we usually do ahead of release. Here are some big takeaways, gleaned both from our own experience and that of others who’ve held Q&A’s on Reddit and elsewhere:
- The device costs $49.99
- The codename is indeed “Sabrina,” as early leaks suggest because it’s printed on the receipt itself (in full as Sabrina-Abbey, although it’s unclear exactly what Abbey means or what it may be referencing)
- It comes in a white finish that Google calls “snow”
- It runs a rebranded version of Android TV called Google TV (not to be confused with Google’s other defunct smart TV platform of the same name first released 10 years ago)
We’ll have more to share about the new Chromecast soon. Google’s official Pixel 5 hardware event — where it plans to announce the new Chromecast alongside other new hardware, including a speaker from Nest — is scheduled for 2PM ET on Wednesday, September 30th.
