Google Android TV Dongle Key Features Leaked, Tipped to Pack Amlogic S905X2 SoC

Google is reportedly working on a new Android TV dongle that will offer a more streamlined experience to users. The new dongle is reported to be the successor to the Chromecast. A new report suggests that the Android TV dongle codenamed Sabrina will pack 2GB of RAM and be powered by the Armlogic S905X2 processor. The latest report also leaks a few other key features that may be integrated inside the Android TV dongle including HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. Details about the accompanying remote have also been leaked.

XDA Developers' deadman96385 examined the “Device Tree Source” (DTS) files contained within the boot image of the pre-release firmware build that was leaked earlier. He discovered key features of the Android TV dongle including 2GB of RAM. The report says that the device is powered by the 12nm Amlogic S905X2 quad-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz, paired with ARM Mali-G31 MP2 GPU. The system-on-chip supports video decoding for 4Kp75 10-bit H.265 content, video output at up to 4Kp60 over HDMI 2.1, HDR video playback with HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision.

The report also suggests that Google's Android TV dongle comes with a pre-installed system application called “SabrinaService.” This application has a feature called “Auto Low Latency Mode - an HDMI 2.1 specification - that allows the device to reduce lag when displaying video automatically. The report says that a lot of TVs will market this feature as ‘Game Mode', and this feature is being introduced to support the Google Stadia cloud gaming service. Google is expected to bring Stadia support to Android TV this year, but there is no clarity on when that will happen.

The SabrinaService application also hints at the Android TV dongle remote having dedicated Netflix and YouTube buttons, and a microphone support for enabling voice commands. The remote that will accompany the Android TV dongle will also support long-press action on one of the keys, and another class in SabrinaService reveals that the dedicated remote likely connects to the device via Bluetooth. The DTS file further hints that Google's Android TV dongle will come with Broadcom's BCM43569 combo chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support and Cadence's Tensilica HiFi 4 DSP.

Past leak shows that the Android TV dongle will have an oval shape and will likely be anchored to the HDMI port on the user's television. The remote has a dedicated Google Assistant button, suggesting voice controls. There is no word on when Google's Android TV will launch officially, and the tech giant has made no hints about it yet.

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