Google Chromecast sales in the UK have kicked off to a great start with the HDMI dongle flying off the shelves.
According to the Dixons group, owner of PC World and Currys and currently the only high-street seller of the Chromecast, one Chromecast was sold every 4.5 seconds on launch day.
The Chromecast arrived in the UK on March 19, having originally launched in the UK last July.
“Google Chromecast continues to be a huge success for us. In the UK, we are the only bricks ‘n’ mortar retailer selling it for now, and on opening day we were selling one every 4.5 seconds!” said Dixons Retail in a statement.
Google hasn’t actually released any sales figures of its own, only releasing a generic statement when contacted about the Dixons’ claims.
“We’ve sold millions of Chromecasts to date, and we hope to replicate that success in Europe,” said Google.
Dixons went as far as to say the Chromecast launch compared to the launch of the original iPad in terms of sales.
“Chromecast has been one of the most successful launch days, both online and in-store, in recent years … rivalling the likes of iPad tablets and Google’s own Nexus device”, said a Dixons representative at launch.
The Chromecast sold so well that the Oxford Street, London stores actually sold out entirely by mid-afternoon.
Google’s HDMI dongle plugs straight into your TV and allows you to stream content directly from your smartphone or tablet to the big screen. What also helps is that it retails for just £30 in comparison to the iOS alternative Apple TV.
The Chromecast has support for apps like BBC iPlayer, Netflix and YouTube already.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to add Chromecast support to BBC iPlayer, providing viewers with another convenient way of getting the BBC programmes they love to watch on demand on the biggest screen in the house,” said Dan Taylor, Head of BBC iPlayer.
Read more: Best Chromecast apps