Google Chromecast Update: Dongle Sold In ‘Millions,’ Worldwide Release Date Approaching (GOOG)

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) says its Chromecast sales are a success story, although the company refuses to release exact figures. Speaking at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai said on Friday that the Chromecast would have an international release within “weeks.”

The Chromecast, a Wi-Fi streaming dongle that plugs into a television’s HDMI port to stream video from services like Netflix and YouTube, has so far only been released in the U.S. Pichai says the Chromecast has already sold in the “millions,” likely thanks to its $35 price tag, smartphone integration and ease of use.

Pichai says that Google plans to release the Chromecast internationally, although he didn't give an exact date for when it would be available in the UK and beyond. The company has traditionally released its products in the UK following a U.S. rollout, then offering it to other countries throughout Europe.

Google on Feb. 3 released the Chromecast SDK, or software development kit, which allows programmers to create apps for the dongle. Pichai says so far more than 3,000 developers have signed up, with Chromecast apps like HBO Go, Hulu Plus and Pandora Internet Radio (NYSE:P) already available.

As consumers seek a way to get content from smartphones and online streaming services onto their home TVs, the Chromecast has stood apart from its competitors in price, costing less than comparable products from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Roku. The Apple TV streaming box costs $99, and a new dongle similar to the Chromecast was released last week by Roku, which retails for $50.

The Chromecast has topped Amazon.com’s best-selling electronics category since shortly after its release in July. After selling out online, it dropped down the list, only to rise again to the top after it was available again two weeks later.

Follow Thomas Halleck on Twitter @tommylikey