For the fifth consecutive quarter, Google’s Chromecast has been named the top-selling media streaming device, taking away a third of the market share from its rivals Apple, Amazon and Roku.
Market consulting firm Strategy Analytics reports that media streaming devices shipped a total of 9.2 million units in the third quarter of 2015, which accounts for about a fifth of all connected media devices shipped during the period. Out of all these, Google’s Chromecast came out as the little streaming dongle that could, running away with more than a third of the market share and leaving its competitors far behind.
The $35 Chromecast accounts for around 35 percent of all streaming media devices shipped in this year’s third quarter. That’s about 2.9 million Chromecast players that made their way to retail stores in the last three months ending in October. In contrast, the Apple TV accounts for 15 percent less with just 20 percent of the market share, while the Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV both have 16 percent. The remaining 13 percent of the market is distributed among smaller players such as the Nexus Player and Nvidia Shield, according to the report.
As Strategy Analytics Service Director of Connected Home Devices David Watkins says, streaming devices will eventually be outpaced by new technologies such as smart TVs, which have the smarts already packed into them, eliminating the need for external devices. For now, however, the relatively low cost of streaming players continue to keep them popular alternatives to more expensive TVs.
“Despite the growing penetration of integrated smart TVs, digital media streamers such as Chromecast and Fire TV continue to prove popular with consumers thanks to their low cost and effectiveness at bridging the gap between the Internet and the TV screen,” Watkins says. “While the long term viability of such devices will be threatened by advancements in smart TV technology, they are currently acting as significant components in Apple, Google and Amazon’s fast evolving TV and video ecosystems.”
Overall, the connected media devices industry shipped a total of 53 million units in the third quarter. These include smart TVs, Blu-ray players and gaming consoles. Strategy Analytics believes the industry is on pace to reach its yearly target of 221 million, accounting for a 17 percent increase from last year’s figures.
Samsung continues to be the leader in smart TVs, with around 25 percent of all units coming from the South Korean manufacturer. Android TV is also starting to make a dent on the industry, with eight to 10 percent of the market accounting for Android-powered TVs coming from Sony, Sharp and Philips.
[“source-techtimes”]