What you need to know
- A mysterious Google device has appeared on the FCC's website.
- The filing hints at a new Nest product, though details are slim at the moment.
- Images and more information about the device are unlikely to be released until January.
Technology companies often shroud their filings with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in mystery to hide an upcoming product, and the latest one to pull it off is Google. A mysterious product has just made a pit stop at the FCC.
The FCC filing describes a "wireless device" with the model number G28DR, as spotted by 9to5Google. The mystery device seems to be powered by a 3.65V battery, though it's possible to charge it via a USB connection since it connected to a laptop for one of the tests.
The FCC's listing also reveals that the device features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, suggesting that it is capable of connecting to other devices. Based on these bits of information, Google appears to be readying a new Nest smart home product.
It's impossible to say at the moment what Google has up its sleeve. But the FCC filing may provide some clues to help narrow our guess. First, it doesn't mention support for connectivity options, such as NFC or UWB (ultra-wideband), so it makes sense to rule out a new member of the Pixel family. After all, Google already announced its next lineup of Android phones, wearables, earbuds, and other products in May.
A new Chromecast series is also highly unlikely seeing as the device in question includes a battery. That leaves a new Nest product as a possible candidate. That said, given the limited amount of information, it's hard to tell what exactly we're looking at.
The FCC document makes it clear that device photos and the manual will be hidden until January. This means that we may have to wait several months before we see this mysterious product in an official capacity.
