The Nexus Q was such a misguided product that Google determined to tug the plug earlier than the machine was ever launched to shoppers. Ten years to the day after its introduction at I/O 2012, the $299 media participant positioned as a “social streaming device” 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 at the least received folks 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 had been promising elements to the Q; in hindsight, you’ll be able to clearly see the groundwork and early DNA of Google’s Chromecast inside it. But all the pieces in regards to the execution was basically shortsighted — and a little bit bizarre. In the beneath promo video that Google launched on the day it introduced the Nexus Q, somebody describes the product as “this living alien object.”

“There’s something inside it. It wants to get out.” Totally regular stuff. Sixty seconds into the video, you’ve nonetheless received no clue what this factor is or what the hell it even does. Eventually, we study that the Nexus Q is “a small, Android-powered computer” that may play music or movies from the cloud.

Over-the-top advertising apart, the Nexus Q wasn’t well-received. David Pogue wrote in The New York Times that it was “baffling” and “wildly overbuilt.” We gave it a 5. Reviews 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 larger 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

But rattling did it look cool. The Nexus Q genuinely gave off sci-fi vibes (particularly when banana plugs and different A/V cables had been operating out of it) due to 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 seemed like one thing that might jack you into the matrix. And it was all unique. Unlike different Nexus gadgets, which had been collaborations with companions like LG, Samsung, Asus, Huawei, and others, the Nexus Q was conceptualized fully by Google.

Most stunning of all is that it was designed and manufactured within the United States. 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 development — nevertheless it 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.)

Inside the sphere was an “audiophile-grade” 25-watt amplifier that might energy passive audio system — this stays the Q’s most original {hardware} element — together with connections for optical, Micro HDMI, and ethernet. A Micro USB port was current “to encourage general hack-ability,” in response to {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 regulate quantity or faucet it to mute no matter was enjoying. All the makings of an incredible lounge machine had been there. But confining software program limitations ruined that potential.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

The Nexus Q solely supported Google providers together with Play Music, Play Movies & 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 means 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. Some of that may sound acquainted to Chromecast homeowners. But there have been main variations between the Nexus Q and Chromecast, which arrived a yr 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 widespread third-party apps to undertake casting. And crucially, the Chromecast additionally supported iOS.

Social streaming

Aside from the Nexus Q’s core performance of enjoying music and movies, Google additionally tried to pitch the product as a social expertise. Multiple folks would be capable to contribute to music playlists with out passing somebody’s telephone round or jostling over management of a Bluetooth speaker. Friends might share YouTube or Play Movies content material on the TV display screen in a similar way — so long as they had been in your Wi-Fi.

That all sounds fantastic in concept, however once more, this was pre-Chromecast. The course of for “social” streaming was… let’s say, inconvenient. If you truly wished to make the “everyone at the party can DJ” situation occur, all your associates would additionally must obtain and set up the Nexus Q app earlier than they might add songs to the queue. Even then, opinions complained in regards to the software program being unintuitive when it got here to managing music playlists. It was too simple to by chance play a music and blow up the collaborative combine that was within the works.

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

End of the queue

Google heard the unfavorable opinions 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 shopper launch of the product “while we work on making it even better.” Early preorder prospects would obtain the machine without cost as a present of thanks for his or her early curiosity.

But 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 models out on the earth, Google didn’t waste time leaving it within the rearview mirror.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

After Google deserted the {hardware}, tinkerers and mod builders spent a couple of years making an attempt to offer the Nexus Q a brand new lease on life. It made it onto the CyanogenMod circuit, and one particular person even managed to turn it into a USB audio device to benefit from that built-in amp. But there simply aren’t many gadgets in circulation, so those efforts have largely faded into history.

The Nexus Q was a whole failure of a product, however Google wasn’t fallacious a few “third wave of consumer electronics” that may make larger use of the cloud to maintain all your leisure (music, films, TV) shut at hand. We’re seeing that in every single place as we speak, and now you’ll be able to add gaming to the equation. It was an embarrassing misstep, however Google’s canceled $299 media participant confirmed that customers have excessive expectations of lounge leisure gadgets — and never even large tech corporations can afford to go it alone.