Hands-on: The new white Chromecast is Google’s ‘Panda’ product for 2018

Ben Schoon | Oct 12 2018 - 12:47 pm PT

Notches aside, I’m a massive fan of Google’s design aesthetic. Each of their devices is thoughtfully designed and they’re quirky in a very Google way. Last year’s Pixel 2 XL was my favorite design to date for a very specific reason and, unexpectedly, the new white Chromecast is what ended up being 2018’s version of it.

While it wasn’t a key part of Google’s big event earlier this week, Google recently refreshed the Chromecast. We’ve already reviewed this new hardware and, more or less, it’s exactly what we had before. The setup process is streamlined a bit thanks to Bluetooth, and performance is a bit improved as well, but the biggest change is that of the design.

The new 2018 Chromecast has a similar design to the 2015 model, but it’s got a matte finish and a cleaner look. My favorite thing, though, is that it comes in a new white colorway. The new white Chromecast, put simply, is pretty gorgeous to look at. The white matte color suits this hardware well and I love the contrast between the white puck and the off-black HDMI cable.

When my unit first arrived earlier today, we were talking about the color in our team chat and we had a fun little observation. The white Chromecast, proper name “Chalk,” is this year’s “Panda.”

If you’re unfamiliar, the white/black Pixel 2 XL last year picked up the nickname of “Panda” for its quirky color. It’s a design I still absolutely love, and one I’m going to miss once my “Clearly White” Pixel 3 XL arrives next week. This white & black look lives on, though, with this new Chromecast. The white model has the same clean contrast and I think it looks great, especially right alongside the Pixel 2 XL in that same color. It’s a shame Google didn’t carry the orange accent button over as well on the white Chromecast.

Too bad it’ll sit behind your TV and never be seen.