The Google Chromecast was a hot seller right out of the chute last summer, but the company has not disclosed any specific sales data on the HDMI-connected streaming adapter.
And Google still hasn’t. But it’s getting closer.
Speaking at the SXSW conference on Sunday, Google SVP of Android and Chrome Sundar Pichai, acknowledged that sales of the Chromecast had reached “the millions now, and it's growing very actively,” according to Pocket-lint and other media outlets that were on hand.
While the Chromecast has a ways to go before it reaches McDonald’s-sized scale, the revelation shows that Google’s decision to go with the $35 impulse-buying price point was smart as it launched with just a limited number of apps that were optimized for the new platform. Expect a lot more following the release of the Google Cast SDK.
And all the more reason for Roku, which has shipped about 8 million streaming devices in the U.S., to come out with a $49.95 version of its Streaming Stick that can work with any TV with an HDMI port, and not just a more limited batch of TV models that use Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) technology.
And Google will keep the heat on the U.S. and abroad amid rumors that Apple is poised to introduce a new version of the Apple TV and the market braces for the anticipated spring introduction of Amazon’s video streaming gizmo. Pichai reportedly said Chromecast will be launched in international markets the coming weeks.
