Amazon's long-rumored set-top box/game console might look less like an Apple TV and more like Google's Chromecast.
The living-room device, which will reportedly debut as early as this month, won't be a box, but instead an HDMI dongle, according to TechCrunch.
See also: Is This Amazon's Game Controller?
The dongle form factor is quickly gaining traction. In addition to the Chromecast, other companies using HDMI dongles include the GameStick and the upcoming Roku Streaming Stick.
TechCrunch noted that there are conflicting reports of what the box will actually do. In addition to the ability to access Amazon Prime video content, it will supposedly act as a game console. Those rumors were bolstered when pictures of an Amazon-branded Bluetooth game controller leaked online last week.
What is less clear is the type of games Amazon's console may offer. Early reports said the device would play Android games, the type Amazon already sells in its Kindle App Store.
More recently, however, reports of more full-fledged games have started to surface. TechCrunch said Amazon is looking to bring PC-like games to the device. To do that, the company would stream games that are powered by massive cloud computers, and deliver the experience over the web; this is similar to what companies such as OnLive have tried to do.
If TechCrunch's sources are correct, it would confirm some of the rumors we've heard about the device. One source close to Amazon told Mashable that its device will work with the company's AppStream service, which just opened up to all interested developers.
The HDMI dongle is the hottest new thing for connected devices in the living room. Chipsets are getting smaller, and it's becoming possible to have memory, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth all in something the size of a flash drive.
But why are companies moving to this new design?
When Mashable spoke with Roku earlier this month, the company said the dongle is a form factor that makes sense for a growing set of customers, in part because it is easy to hide away — just plug it in to HDMI and USB or AC power, and go. Set-top boxes have become remarkably small, but if you mount your TV to the wall, there's not always a good place to set a box down.
As someone who has velcroed an Apple TV to the back of my television set for that very reason, I can say a dongle is an easier solution. Dongles are also more portable, which is great for anyone who travels, or wants to use a device for business.
What's more, Roku said the size of the dongle allows companies to position it in retail stores as a grab-and-go item, making it easy to buy alongside a TV set or as an impulse purchase.
Retail placement is likely part of Amazon's design strategy. The company sells its products through its own channel, but has had remarkable success selling the Kindle and Kindle Fire through traditional retail chains, as well.
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