When the Chromecast was first originally launched back in 2013, it was seen as something of a novelty product, something people would buy, try out and then perhaps a platform that Google would forget about. Instead, the Chromecast line of devices have become super-popular and there are now more providers than ever, with the Cast icon becoming a regular fixture in many of our favorite apps. The original Chromecast launched back in 2013, during the same event that Sundar Pichai took to the stage to introduce the Nexus 7 2013, a device which has sadly seen no follow-up since then. Since that event, the Chromecast has now gone on to sell over 30 Million units, Google proudly announced, and with the Chromecast Ultra, things are only looking up for the little HDMI dongle that could.
The original Chromecast was a powerful little machine, and spent much of its life on sale or bundle in with some sort of incentive, despite the cheap $35 price tag it was launched with. Afterwards, we saw Google launch the Chromecast 2 and Chromecast Audio, with the latter providing customers with great speakers in different rooms of their house with a way to connect it all together on the cheap. Now, we say hello to the Chromecast Ultra, a new product in the line, which at $69, promises to be more powerful and stream 4K to our shiny new televisions. The Chromecast Ultra is also 1.8x faster than the older models, and it also has the option for ethernet support snuck into the power adapter to make sure the streaming experience is as good as it can be.
The Chromecast Ultra will go on sale all over the world this November for $69, and Google is no doubt hoping that this will be the first line of many new Chromecast devices over the next couple of years that allows them to sell their next 30 Million and reach 100 Million sold in no time. Given that users are more comfortable than they ever have been using their smartphones and computers in the living room, it’s possible that Google will 100 Million Chromecasts sold a lot sooner than we all expect them to.