Apple fans are no longer caught in a long-running tiff between Amazon and Google. The Amazon Prime Video iOS app has been updated with support for Google’s inexpensive Chromecast player.
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Of course, there is already a version of this software for Apple TV, but some people prefer Chromecast for its lower price: Google’s streaming player starts at $35, while the most basic Apple TV is $149.
Chromecast and iPhone
Streaming an Amazon Prime video from an iPhone or iPad works as it does with similar applications. A small icon appears in one corner of the screen when the iOS device finds a Chromecast on its network. Tapping on this icon causes the TV show or movie to be handed over to the larger screen, with playback controls remaining on the smaller one.
All it takes is Amazon Prime Video version 7.2, available now on the App Store. Users of this software can buy movies or shows but taking advantage of its full capabilities requires an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $119 per year.
This capability has also been added to the Android version of this app.
Google vs. Amazon
Large companies locked in competition can sometimes be surprisingly cooperative. Apple and Samsung are battling for the top of the phone market, but Apple buys iPhone components from its Korean rival, for example.
Google and Amazon were a long-running exception. Google didn’t let Amazon Fire players access YouTube, while Amazon didn’t sell Chromecast devices or include support for it in its streaming app. Among the beneficiaries of this squabble was Apple TV, as this offered streaming fare from both companies. A market-analysis firm recently said that 21 percent of US households regularly use an Apple set-top box.
But the two tech giants finally buried the hatchet, and iPhone users with a Chromecast are the beneficiaries.
