Walmart is stepping up its streaming game with a couple of new streaming devices that are about to hit the U.S., including one that looks very much like the Google TV Streamer, with the same functionality and a lower price tag.
The device in question is the Walmart Onn 4K Pro, a new streaming box that’s powered by Google TV and offers access to all of the major streaming applications, plus the Gemini AI assistant.
Since it’s a newer device, it also has a few upgrades over the Google TV Streamer, including Wi-Fi 6 connectivity instead of Wi-Fi 5, and a backlit remote control that makes the buttons easier to see when it’s dark. On the downside, the Amlogic S905X5M chipset isn’t as powerful as the processor found in Google’s device, for it only has 3GB of RAM, compared to 4GB for its rival. It does have 32GB of storage though, matching what’s available on Google’s product.
That said, it’s a darn sight cheaper, with Walmart listing it for just $59.99 on its online store, which compares to $99.99 for the Google TV Streamer over on Best Buy.
The two devices share a lot of functionality. The Google TV Streamer also supports 4K pictures, assuming you have a 4K television, and Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and regular HDR10 are also supported. In addition, the Onn 4K Pro has a single HDMI port, a USB port, and supports Dolby Atmos, Matter over Thread and also a far-field microphone to enable hands-free voice interactions with Gemini.
While the amount of RAM may be a consideration for those who demand a slick experience, but considering the savings of $40, it’s hard not to like the Onn 4K Pro as an alternative.
We did mention there were a couple of new devices, and the other one announced this week is a new streaming stick called the Onn 4K, which also supports 4K content, HDR10 and HDR10+, but no Dolby Vision, unfortunately. Dolby Atmos is listed on Walmart’s comparison table showing all four of its streaming devices (with two older devices), but curiously there’s no mention of it on the actual product page, so we can’t say for certain if it’s present or not.
The Onn 4K stick makes a sacrifice in terms of RAM, with just 2GB, and also storage space, which is limited to just 8GB, so you probably won’t be able to download many apps on it. But it is at least cheaper, with Walmart asking for just $39.99 at launch. However, users should beware that Walmart’s Onn devices are probably going to be among the most invasive around in terms of their ad targeting, for the company merges user’s viewing data with their Walmart shopping habits to get a better picture of the things they’re interested in.
Still, anyone in the U.S. who is looking for a cheap and cheerful, or even quite capable alternative to the Google TV Streamer would do well to consider one of Walmart’s new devices, which also compete with products such as the Apple TV 4K, Roku’s streaming sticks, Amazon’s Fire TV sticks, and the Nvidia Shield.
