Google first introduced the Chromecast Audio back in September 2015, introducing a way to make a speaker ‘smart’. Now it looks like the end of the road with Google removing it from the store as Chromecast Audio comes to the new Chromecast.
Google has removed the Chromecast Audio from the Google Store leaving the new Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra as the sole remaining cast dongles in the store.
The removal comes as Google advises that the new Chromecast can now stream your favourite music from Spotify and YouTube through speakers connected to your TV, and you’ll soon be able to add these new speakers to speaker groups for multi-room audio.
The new Chromecast can not only stream music, it’s also a bit faster with Google advising they’ve improved hardware speed by 15 percent and it now supports streaming at 60fps at 1080p resolution for a more lifelike image.
It’s still just not quite the same though, with the Chromecast Audio dongle including support for 3.5mm and Optical audio, whereas the new Chromecast only has HDMI for connection to devices.
If you have some dumb speakers in your house and you want to add them to your smart home you should probably run out and grab one now – although if they’re being phased out you can likely expect some decent specials on the horizon from retailers as they try to divest themselves of stock.
Update: Looks like it could have been a glitch. As of this morning, the Chromecast Audio has re-appeared in the Australian Google Store online. So it appears there’s still life left in the old Chromecast Audio yet.
Finally!! Been wanting to group a Chromecast with my Google speakers. Stuffed if I was going to but a 2nd CC just for that though.
One can always buy an HDMI to HDMI extractor converter with optical and 3.5mm rca audio out. No need to turn the TV on. Problem solved. (Costs about$15 on eBay).
I was hoping they were going to announce an adapter to slip between power and usb that would allow 3.5mm audio connection
I suspect it hasn’t been popular… Glad I already have one 🙂
And by doing this, Google are trying to push people to by Google home or other smart speakers
*buy
Yes, I’m a little disappointed in that too, not always wanting to turn on the TV to listen to music, especially since my Chromecast audio is connected to my AMP which is routed to all my in roof speakers….. Amplifiers with HDMI inputs seem to jump the cost a little…..
Are they looking to just replace this functionality with Home minis placed everywhere and put into a Google Home “speakers group”?
Seems like an odd explanation for phasing out the Chromecast Audio, as it completely misses the basic use case for the device. Most, if not all, of the speakers or amplifiers that a Chromecast Audio will be connected to probably do not have HDMI input. Cue an increase of sales of Echo Dots in place of Chromecast Audios?
Except I do not want to turn on a TV to play music. I use my phone or Tablet to start music playing via my HiFi system. Luckily my Chromecast Audio is working fine and should continue until Google do the dirty and turn off support from Android apps.