Google Chromecast hits Amazon UK, nearly three times more expensive than US

Google Chromecast hits Amazon UK, is nearly three times more expensive than US
Will Google's device soon be casting a spell over your TV habits?

The Google Chromecast HDMI streaming dongle is now available to buy in the UK from Amazon, 24 hours after it temporarily became available globally from the retailer's US site.

However, Brits who marvelled at the device's $35 (about £21) US price-tag will have to fork over almost triple that, at £59.99 to get their hands on Chromecast. Shipping will be free.

Google is yet to officially announce international availability for its versatile Apple TV rival, months after bringing it to Statesiders, but Amazon UK's listing claims to have Chromecast in stock.

On Tuesday some punters were able to snap up the device from the Amazon.com and have it shipped to the UK for the American price, but the company is no longer offering the international shipping option.

Potential

Chromecast, a surprise announcement at Google's Android 4.3 launch event this summer, allows content to be sent from iOS, Android, Chrome OS Windows and Mac OS X devices to be played on a HD TV.

Rather than streaming directly from the mobile device or laptop, Chromecast works by pulling the content down to the device from the cloud, making the origin device more of a trigger or remote control.

So far it lacks widespread support from third-party developers and apps are thin on the ground, but the potential is there for Chromecast to be a much more inclusive, versatile device than Apple's £99 hockey puck-like set-top box.

The good news for Brits is that we can now get our hands on the device, but we're not sure about that massively inflated price point. Perhaps when Google has something to say about a UK launch, we'll see a semblance of parity restored.

Via Inquirer

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.