• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
TechEngage

TechEngage

Technology news and opinions

  • Tech News
  • Reviews
  • How-to
  • Science
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Space
  • Apps
  • More
    • Opinion
    • Noteworthy
    • Roundups
    • Culture
    • Blockchain
      • Cryptocurrency
    • Events
    • Deals
    • Startups
      • Startup Submissions
  • Videos
  • Login
AV, Consumer Electronics, IoT

RIP Google Chromecast Audio

Avatar for Fazeel Ashraf Fazeel Ashraf January 13, 2019

chromecast audio design
Design by Muntaha Hussain | TechEngage

Another day, another tech product that bites the dust. Google’s highly underrated product Chromecast Audio has met its end. If you’re interested in soon-t0-be-obsolete technology, you can still buy the Chromecast Audio for $15 (down from its original price of $35). As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

The Chromecast Audio dongle was launched back in 2015. It was an easy solution for wirelessly streaming music to any speaker from phones, tablets, and laptops. The speaker only needed to have either an analog or digital audio input.

Now that Google markets its own speakers, the need for a Chromecast Audio slowly started to fade away. As Google Home and Home Max started growing in popularity, people realized they would rather have the whole package rather than a dongle that they needed to fiddle with. So it wasn’t the least bit surprising when Google decided to pull the plug on this device.

The company told Techcrunch:

“Our product portfolio continues to evolve, and now we have a variety of products for users to enjoy audio. We have therefore stopped manufacturing our Chromecast Audio products. We will continue to offer assistance for Chromecast Audio devices, so users can continue to enjoy their music, podcasts and more.”

While Chromecast Audio was a great solution for people who wanted to stream music or podcasts to their favorite set of speakers, it was always a niche product and many people had never even heard of it before the announcement of its demise.

The downside of the dongle was the need for separate speakers with a built-in wireless streaming feature. It was always possible for people to connect their devices with those kinds of speakers via the 3.5mm jack and stream without an issue, so the dongle was largely redundant.

Now that most speakers support Bluetooth, even a 3.5mm jack seems obsolete.

Google made it clear it wants customers to buy its Home speakers rather than go for the cheaper option of getting a dongle. It is also worth noting that all Google Home devices have built-in Bluetooth support so they can sync with practically any Bluetooth-supported speaker.

Google could soften this blow by adding an audio-out port to future Google Home products, but it seems highly unlikely that it will make this call. But if it does change its mind, it will give the Amazon Dot a run for its money. The Google Home Mini didn’t have an audio out, which was one of the device’s biggest shortcomings. 

Google says that it will continue supporting the product for now, so it might not be a bad investment if you don’t have a Bluetooth speaker at home.  

Related Tags: ChromecastAudio Google

Related Stories

  • Vimeo Introduce a Channel for Holographic Videos

    Vimeo Introduce a Channel for Holographic Videos

  • Disney has revealed the name of its streaming service

    Disney has revealed the name of its streaming service

  • Everything Google revealed at Pixel Hardware Event

    Everything Google revealed at Pixel Hardware Event

Avatar for Fazeel Ashraf

Fazeel Ashraf

Author @TechEngage

IT graduate from the National University of Science and Technology with a passion for writing. When not reading or writing, I can be found listening to rock and metal or playing some classic jams on my electric guitar. I’m also a big fan of horror movies.

Reader Interactions

Join The Discussion: Cancel reply

Please read our comment policy before submitting your comment. Your email address will not be used or publish anywhere. You will only receive comment notifications if you opt to subscribe below.

Primary Sidebar

Become a contributor

We are accepting contributor applications. All applications will be decided in 3 days after applying. To learn more click here.
TechEngage-Apple-News
TechEngage-Google-News

Recent Stories

  • 6 best car scratch removers on Amazon for 2021
  • Best iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro wallet cases for 2021
  • Best video game consoles to buy on Amazon in 2021
  • Best gaming mouse in 2021
  • Best soft couch covers and sofa slipcovers on Amazon for 2021
Lumia series

Nokia Lumia Series – The Champion Of Generations!

A person using app on a smartphone

4 great productivity apps to stay productive

An illustration of Mac explaining App Cache in Mac for users

How to clear cache on Mac – Mac user’s complete guide

A woman sneaking

Solving common PC security threats with Outbyte AVarmor

Footer

About Us

  • Advertise
  • Send us a tip
  • Startup Submission Questionnaire
  • Community Guidelines
  • Corrections Policy & Practice
  • Contact us

Discover

  • About
  • Newsroom
  • Advertise
  • Brand Kit
  • Partners
  • Staff
  • Our Ethics
  • Publication Principles
  • Contact us

Legal Pages

  • Reviews Guarantee
  • Community Guidelines
  • Cookies Policy
  • Comments Policy
  • Our Ethics
  • Disclaimer
  • GDPR Compliance
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Download our apps

TechEngage-app-google-play-store

Copyright © 2021 · All Rights Reserved · TechEngage® is a Project of TechAbout LLC.
TechEngage® is a registered trademark in United Kingdom under Trademark Number UK00003417167 and is ISSN protected under the ISSN 2690-3776 and OCLC Number 1139335774.

Go to mobile version