Google Postpones Planned Launch of its Nexus Q Media Streaming Device

By Karla Robinson
August 1, 2012

Originally scheduled to ship in July, the $299 Nexus Q will be delayed while Google makes improvements after hearing “initial feedback from users that they want Nexus Q to do even more than it does today,” the company wrote in an email to those who pre-ordered the device.
“The Nexus Q, a black orb that looks somewhat like a Magic 8-ball, was internally designed and manufactured in the U.S., a departure from recent industry norms in consumer electronics,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“It was designed to stream music and videos from Google’s YouTube video service and its Play service and is seen as competing against devices such as Apple Inc.’s Apple TV and Sonos Inc.’s home-audio system,” explains the article.
The duration of the postponement has yet to be announced, but it’s not completely bad news for early adopters. According to the Google email message: “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.”
The Android-based media steaming device has received some criticism for its price point and lack of features, especially when compared to its competitors.
“Currently, the Nexus Q can only play back content from Android devices, and lacks its own user interface,” notes The Verge in a related post. “If we had to guess, we’d say that Google will address that issue before it commits to a re-release.”

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