The same Chromecast that Google first launched in September…of 2020
Unlike Apple and Samsung, Google tends to launch its hardware products in a handful of markets right at the start and then slowly expand their availability in the coming months... and sometimes even years. The big G first unveiled the Chromecast with Google TV in September 2020 and now, more than 1½ years later, it is putting the streaming stick on sale in 12 new countries across the world.
As spotted by @AndroidTV_Rumor, Chromecast with Google TV will be available in eight new European countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Additionally, Google confirmed to FlatpanelsHD that its streaming stick is coming to Taiwan, New Zealand, South Korea, and India.
There are no internal or external changes to the Chromecast that Google has put up for sale in the new European markets. You get the same paltry 8GB storage in a dongle that can playback 4K Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content with Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos support. For connectivity, there's Bluetooth, Wi-Fi ac, and HDMI 2.1. The stick comes bundled with a voice remote to let you control media playback easily. It also features a dedicated button for Google Assistant, YouTube, and Netflix, so you can ask the voice assistant to check the weather or directly jump to your favorite show.
Despite coming to additional markets across the world close to two years after its original launch, Chromecast with Google TV is still among the best streaming devices for your home that you can't go wrong with. You will be hard-pressed to find a better offering on the market running Google TV. Since its release, Google TV itself has received multiple updates that have added new features like advanced video controls, support for personalized multi-user profiles, watchlists, and more.
In the new regions, Google will be rolling out localized features with deeper integration with services that are more relevant in that region. Some local apps and services will also come pre-installed on the units. This could mean that the 'For You' and 'Live' tabs are not available in your country, as they are only available in limited parts of the world. The big G will also update all Chromecast units sold by third-party retailers in these countries to support the local features.
There are rumors of Google working on a higher-end Chromecast with a more powerful chipset and possibly even more storage. If anything, we could see this device make its debut later this fall alongside the Google Pixel 7 series.
Pre-orders for Chromecast with Google TV are already live on the Google Store in all the new countries, and it will go on sale starting June 21. In Eurozone countries, the dongle will retail for €70 and be available at local tech outlets. In New Zealand, the dongle will retail for $100 and can be purchased from retailers Noel Leeming, The Warehouse, JB Hifi, Harvey Norman, and PB Tech starting June 22.
Chromecast with Google TV comes to India, Taiwan, and more
In total, Google has expanded Chromecast's availability to 12 new countries. This includes eight new European countries along with New Zealand, India, Taiwan, and South Korea. However, the big G is yet to announce the pricing and availability details of the streaming device for the last three countries.
Rajesh Pandey started following the tech field right around the time Android devices were going mainstream. He closely follows the latest development in the world of smartphones and what the tech giants are up to. He loves to tinker around with the latest gadgets to see what they are capable of.