Google Halts Arrival Of Nexus Q Streaming Device

Tech giant Google has stopped taking orders for its media streaming Orb device, dubbed the Nexus Q.

Google revealed the Nexus Q to the world at the Google I/O conference in June, when it also introduced the long-awaited 7-inch Google Nexus tablet, made by Asus.

Media streaming

The Nexus Q is essentially a ball-shaped media hub and dock for Android devices. It works by connecting to a TV and home entertainment centre, and uses the Internet to get content from Google Play. It can be controlled by an Android tablet or smartphone. Coloured LEDs on its midriff pulse with the sound being played.

“Nexus Q is a small Android-powered computer that’s designed to live in your home,” said Android engineer Joe Britt back in June. Google said it could be pre-ordered in the US for $299 (£191) only, and no release date was set for the UK.

Google had hoped to launch the device in July but this has now been delayed in an effort to add more functionality to the unit.

In an email sent out Tuesday (31 July) to those users who have already pre-ordered a Nexus Q from the Google Play store, Google said that they will still be getting their devices in the next few weeks.

Wired revealed the email that was sent to customers from the Nexus Q team.

“We have an important update about your Nexus Q pre-order.

“When we announced Nexus Q at Google I/O, we gave away devices to attendees for an early preview. The industrial design and hardware were met with great enthusiasm. We also heard initial feedback from users that they want Nexus Q to do even more than it does today. In response, we have decided to postpone the consumer launch of Nexus Q while we work on making it even better.

“To thank you for your early interest, we’d like to extend the Nexus Q preview to our pre-order customers and send you a free device. If you had other items in your order, your credit card will be charged for those items only. Your Nexus Q will be on its way soon and you will receive a notification and tracking number from Google Play when it ships.”

Google did not specify a new shipping date for the device.

Poor Reviews?

Google has already shipped out pre-orders of the device to journalists and developers, but some reviewers felt the device supported too few services. For example, it is said to only stream audio tracks from Google-specific brands such as Google Music, and video from Google Play and YouTube.

It also streams photos, audio and video from Google’s cloud (and Google+) into any room in a home, as it can be moved around. This is because the content is not streamed through Android smartphones or tablets, although the device is controlled by them, but rather the content is streamed via the Internet through the Nexus Q to the home entertainment system.

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