Google’s worst {hardware} flop was launched 10 years in the past right now

The Nexus Q was such a misguided product that Google determined to tug the plug earlier than the machine was ever launched to customers. Ten years to the day after its introduction at I/O 2012, the $299 media participant positioned as a “social streaming machine” stays a novel debacle in Google’s {hardware} story. Say what you’ll about Google Glass, however the firm’s first foray into wearable tech not less than obtained individuals speaking. The Nexus Q, in distinction, was an instance of what can occur when an organization turns into very misplaced in its personal walled backyard.

There have been promising points to the Q; in hindsight, you possibly can clearly see the groundwork and early DNA of Google’s Chromecast inside it. However the whole lot concerning the execution was basically shortsighted — and a bit of bizarre. Within the beneath promo video that Google launched on the day it introduced the Nexus Q, somebody describes the product as “this dwelling alien object.”

“There’s one thing inside it. It desires to get out.” Completely regular stuff. Sixty seconds into the video, you’ve nonetheless obtained no clue what this factor is or what the hell it even does. Ultimately, we study that the Nexus Q is “a small, Android-powered pc” that may play music or movies from the cloud.

Over-the-top advertising and marketing apart, the Nexus Q wasn’t well-received. David Pogue wrote in The New York Instances that it was “baffling” and “wildly overbuilt.” We gave it a 5. Evaluations from CNET, Engadget, and others all shared the identical consensus: for nevertheless spectacular its {hardware} was, the Q simply didn’t do sufficient to justify a worth a lot increased than a Roku or Apple TV on the time. A tool that solely labored with Google providers simply wasn’t sensible or interesting for many individuals.

Designed by Google, made within the USA

However rattling did it look cool. The Nexus Q genuinely gave off sci-fi vibes (particularly when banana plugs and different A/V cables have been working out of it) because of its orb-shaped industrial design and glowing LED ring. This was lengthy earlier than Amazon’s Echo got here alongside, bear in mind. The Q appeared like one thing that would jack you into the matrix. And it was all authentic. Not like different Nexus units, which have been collaborations with companions like LG, Samsung, Asus, Huawei, and others, the Nexus Q was conceptualized fully by Google.

Most shocking of all is that it was designed and manufactured in the US. Google by no means actually highlighted or performed up the US manufacturing bit — maybe to keep away from any notion that it might turn into a pattern — but it surely undoubtedly contributed to the Q’s deliberate $299 worth. (The unique Moto X would later be assembled within the US, however that initiative didn’t final lengthy.)

Contained in the sphere was an “audiophile-grade” 25-watt amplifier that would energy passive audio system — this stays the Q’s most unusual {hardware} element — together with connections for optical, Micro HDMI, and ethernet. A Micro USB port was current “to encourage normal hack-ability,” in keeping with {hardware} director Matt Hershenson. The Nexus Q was powered by the identical smartphone chip because the Galaxy Nexus. You might rotate the higher half of the sphere to manage quantity or faucet it to mute no matter was enjoying. All of the makings of an incredible front room machine have been there. However confining software program limitations ruined that potential.

The Nexus Q solely supported Google providers together with Play Music, Play Motion pictures & TV, and YouTube. There was no Netflix or Hulu, and no Spotify. Google went to the difficulty of placing in an amplifier, but audiophiles had no method of getting lossless audio from the analog connectors.

The Q lacked any on-screen consumer interface and didn’t include a distant; you possibly can solely management it utilizing a devoted Android app. A few of that can sound acquainted to Chromecast house owners. However there have been main variations between the Nexus Q and Chromecast, which arrived a 12 months later, that made the $35 streaming dongle so successful. Having discovered a tough lesson from stubbornly favoring its personal software program, Google corrected course and made a heavy push for standard third-party apps to undertake casting. And crucially, the Chromecast additionally supported iOS.

Social streaming

Except for the Nexus Q’s core performance of enjoying music and movies, Google additionally tried to pitch the product as a social expertise. A number of individuals would have the ability to contribute to music playlists with out passing somebody’s telephone round or jostling over management of a Bluetooth speaker. Buddies may share YouTube or Play Motion pictures content material on the TV display screen similarly — so long as they have been in your Wi-Fi.

That each one sounds advantageous in idea, however once more, this was pre-Chromecast. The method for “social” streaming was… let’s say, inconvenient. For those who really wished to make the “everybody on the celebration can DJ” situation occur, your whole mates would additionally must obtain and set up the Nexus Q app earlier than they may add songs to the queue. Even then, critiques complained concerning the software program being unintuitive when it got here to managing music playlists. It was too straightforward to by accident play a music and blow up the collaborative combine that was within the works.

Quick ahead a couple of years and, ultimately, the highest streaming music providers found out they may simply clear up this on their very own. Now, you can also make a collaborative playlist on Spotify (or YouTube Music) — no particular machine or random apps required.

Finish of the queue

Google heard the unfavourable critiques and “that’s all it does?” criticisms of the Nexus Q loud and clear. By late July 2012, only a month after its announcement, the corporate introduced it was suspending a client launch of the product “whereas we work on making it even higher.” Early preorder prospects would obtain the machine without spending a dime as a present of thanks for his or her early curiosity.

However the Nexus Q by no means made it to retailer cabinets. By the top of 2012, Google quietly eliminated the product from its web site. In 2013, the corporate’s apps began breaking compatibility with the machine altogether. With so few Q items out on this planet, Google didn’t waste time leaving it within the rearview mirror.

After Google deserted the {hardware}, tinkerers and mod builders spent a couple of years making an attempt to present the Nexus Q a brand new lease on life. It made it onto the CyanogenMod circuit, and one individual even managed to show it right into a USB audio machine to benefit from that built-in amp. However there simply aren’t many units in circulation, so these efforts have largely pale into historical past.

The Nexus Q was a whole failure of a product, however Google wasn’t flawed a few “third wave of client electronics” that might make higher use of the cloud to maintain your whole leisure (music, films, TV) shut at hand. We’re seeing that all over the place right now, and now you possibly can add gaming to the equation. It was an embarrassing misstep, however Google’s canceled $299 media participant confirmed that customers have excessive expectations of front room leisure units — and never even large tech firms can afford to go it alone.