The announcement of a new Chromecast and audio streaming ‘Chromecast Audio’ at their Nexus event in September was somewhat expected, but we’ve yet to see any indication that the new dongles will arrive in Australia any time soon. An addition of a Chromecast micro-site on the Google Australia domain has added a little fuel to the fire that we might see them soon.
The micro-site for Chromecast Audio and Chromecast 2 have gone up and you can check them out at google.com.au/chromecast/speakers/ and www.google.com.au/chromecast/tv/,. The original Chromecast micro-site remains up on the Australian domain showing information and pictures of the original Chromecast.
Additionally, the Chromecast 2 and Chromecast Audio micro-sites are simply cut and paste clones of the US sites, with the same US$35 price tag and pointer to Best Buy, Walmart and of course the Google Store when you click the ‘Buy Now‘ button.
Google left Australia off the original list of countries able to order the Chromecast 2 and Chromecast Audio when they launched, and hasn’t announced any further availability information about the dongles.
There’s also no sign of the Chromecast 2 or Chromecast 2 on the Australian Google Store with all their visual assets still showing the original – and there’s nothing in the underlying code either.
A small rumour circulated that we were going to see a November launch, but with Christmas now looming it seems there was anything to that rumour and it’s unlikely we’ll see them any time before the new year.
Google finally launched the original Chromecast in Australia at the end of May last year, some 10 months after the dongle was officially announced. While we don’t expect it to take 10 months for the dongle to launch here in Australia, it does seem to be taking its time.
We’ve imported a couple of the Chromecast 2 and Chromecast Audio dongles and so far we can say they’re a great update to the original product – the Chromecast Audio is simply awesome if you have some spare speakers lying around.
While the addition of the micro-site doesn’t mean much, perhaps we’ll see something in the new year.
Still no sign of it?
Chromecast 2 soon No.
I was at a Jb Hi-fi today & there was a guy from Google there. I asked him when we are getting the Chromecast 2 here in Oz & he said not for a while because of product testing in the US & sorting out end user licenses which takes a while apparently.
Sounded like Months to me.
I was lucky enough to receive a chromecast audio as a gift from a mate in the US a few weeks ago and absolutely love it. I hope the next version has a built in rechargeable battery for outside use.
Get a USB battery block. The things you use to recharge a phone.
Yeah I’ve got one but it would be so cool just to plug it into a an old rechargeable bluetooth speaker with aux input without it needing to be plugged in. Just a suggestion for Google if you’re listening 😉
Wouldn’t you still need a battery powered wifi access point? I’d just have the playback via bluetooth in this instance.
I believe you can hotspot you’re phone and use that as wifi
Can you actually use a device to create a wifi hotspot and then use the same device to connect to the same hotspot? Have not tried it yet. Have been under the impression that it’ll need separate wifi antennas.
That’s a very good question. TBH I’m not sure as I haven’t tried it. You may need two devices eg phone and tablet or two phones
I thought so too. Maybe another alternative would be a very low powered portable wifi router. I know TP-Link has one of those very small square wifi boxes (I have the WR703) which should work.
A number of the new portable Bluetooth speakers, such as those in the Braven range (I’m pretty sure there’s more) actually have a USB port to let you use the speaker as a USB Battery pack.
Just wondering if the ones you have imported (audio version) do multiroom audio yet? that was another feature that was said should happen before christmas – and the main reason I was looking around on the google site when I found these new pages.
I have amps and speakers that I have got for free over the years, in almost every room. Just need to add a chromecast audio to each one and I have the equivalent of about $3000 of sonos for around $200 🙂
Following the chromecast community on G+ people are still asking this same question – so I’d say not yet.
No Multi-room audio yet.
Yep, super keen for multi room audio too – I currently have two wifi receivers with Spotify Connect which works great, but a Chromecast Audio for each of these for casting Google Play Music and multiroom sync for $100 would be very nice!