Google TV Streamer Skips Certain Regions: Chromecast's Future Remains Uncertain
Summary
- Google TV Streamer Availability: The Google TV Streamer, launched last year as a successor to the Chromecast with Google TV, is currently available in 19 countries but will not be expanding to new markets such as India, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and other parts of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
- Reasons for Limited Expansion: Google’s VP of Devices and Services for APAC, Mike Abary, suggests that the abundance of low-cost TVs with built-in streaming capabilities in these regions, particularly those running Android TV OS, is a key factor. Android TV OS has over 50% market share in the region.
- Chromecast Availability: Google has no immediate plans to discontinue the Chromecast in these regions, though it's unclear if new stock will be produced. The Google Store in some of these countries, like Singapore and India, no longer sells the Chromecast, leaving third-party retailers as the primary source.