Google and Match Group reach temporary agreement on in-app payments
Match filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google at the start of May.
Google Nexus Q
56
Engadget Review
Google's curious little media streamer is a beauty to behold but offers an unfortunate combination of high price and limited functionality.
Pros
- Stunning designHigh-quality audio outputPlenty of connectivity options
Cons
- Limited functionalityCan only access Google Play contentCan only be controlled by Android devices
View All Critic & User Reviews
Google Nexus Q
- Critic Reviews (14)
- User Reviews (6)
- 56AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE14 ReviewsPopular Science40Google Nexus Q Review: An Unfinished Orb of MysterPresumably Google will build out the Nexus Q, considering how powerful and well-made it is physically, but at the moment, it's so half-baked that I can't imagine recommending it to anyone. It costs more, does less, and works worse than its competitors.Technology Review60Review: Google's Nexus QIts combination of quirky styling, extremely limited functionality, and a $299 price tag has me completely mystified.Laptop Magazine50Google Nexus Q ReviewThough the Nexus Q is a beautiful and easy-to-use piece of hardware, it suffers from a dearth of content and an unjustifiably high price.Engadget70Nexus Q review: Google's mysterious little socialGoogle's curious little media streamer is a beauty to behold but offers an unfortunate combination of high price and limited functionality.New York Times50The Google Nexus Q Is BafflingGoogle must have bigger plans for this thing. It’s wildly overbuilt for its incredibly limited functions, and far too expensive. For now, I can think of only one class of customer who should consider buying the black Nexus Q sphere: people whose living rooms are dominated by bowling-ball collections.Gizmodo50Google Nexus Q Review: Who Is This Orb For?For everybody else, this would be a cool novelty item (or it will be if once the bugs are worked out), but most people aren't going to pay that much for a novelty item. If Google can add more features and cut the price down, then it just might be impulse-buyable. Until then, this is a pass.PC Mag40Google Nexus QGoogle's Nexus Q is a good-looking media hub, but its meager app selection and reliance on Android devices don't come close to justifying its high price.Wired50Things Look Cloudy for Google’s Oracular OrbSo, what does the Nexus Q compete with? Nothing, really. At least nothing that’s available on the shelves right now. It’s an entirely unique product made for a very narrow audience, and its limitations will likely prevent it from succeeding as a consumer device.CNET50Google Nexus Q reviewThe Nexus Q's striking, orblike hardware can't outweigh the extreme limitations of this Android-only, Google-only media streamer.SlashGear90Google Nexus Q reviewWith this device you’ve got an Apple TV for nearly every single Android device on the market, and since it is a Nexus device, Google has in so many words encouraged us to hack it ... Will people buy it at $299? That’s a different story entirely.Mashable60Google Nexus Q: Ready for Party Fouls, Not Prime TThe Q isn’t on sale just yet, and that’s probably a really good thing. In its current form the software is too buggy to make it worth using at all, much less shelling out $300 for.TechRadar50Google Nexus Q reviewCurrently, there are so many other devices that do exactly what you'd expect the Nexus Q to do, stream the media content that you currently consume, for much less money.Techno Buffalo60Stampede Review: Google Nexus QFor now, no. Google has explained that the Q is basically an experiment, so we can’t quite give it a definitive verdict... It certainly speaks volumes about where the product stands after indefinitely being pulled from the Play store, but progress as been made in unlocking a brighter future.Geek.com70Review: Google Nexus Q streaming media hubI don’t see the Nexus Q flying off the shelves anytime soon, but I can certainly see the potential in a device like this, and look forward to seeing what I consider to be a new approach at taking on the TV.
- 62AVERAGE USER SCORE6 ReviewsEngadget Reader90March 22, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70January 24, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The only thing it misses for now is the support of more media/apps. Unfortunately it's a major issue considering it's the only point of this device...Engadget Reader60October 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A forgettable product. It isn't bad, exactly, but also doesn't do anything particularly well. - EngadgetEngadget Reader60October 6, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A forgettable product. It isn't bad, exactly, but also doesn't do anything particularly well. - EngadgetEngadget Reader50July 13, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Nexus Q is Google's attempt at providing a "social"-enabled content consumption device. The lack of storage is a deal-breaker -- you cannot save Google Play media for local playback, i.e., you need a fast broadband connection to make it work. In addition, content is limited, at the moment, to the US market.A browser-based interface to configure and manage it would make it perfect specially if you own a Chromebook/Chromebox. Unfortunately, an Android device is required instead. (and oh, the Nexus Q app is limited to US Google Play App store only but not an issue since you can side-load anyway).Engadget Reader40July 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Q is a beautifully designed, high-end product for Android users who already own sweet entertainment systems and want a media streamer to match. If you don't have an HDMI television, or a stereo with optical or banana plug connectors, AND an Android device for an interface, you can't use the Q. I use an iPhone and I only just bought a TV with HDMI, so I would not have chosen a Q for streaming. However I have one from Google I/O, and it is such a beautiful object I wanted to try it. Fortunately Google I/O also provided me with an Android device to use it with.So far my experience with it has been mixed. It was fairly straight forward to set up, considering you have to use a TV and an Android to interface with it, though not as straight forward as Apple TV. Once you are configured, there is an ambiguous process by which you can play content you choose on your Android through the Q. It is not entirely clear how the connection between the devices works. Some part Bluetooth, some part NFC, mostly Wi-Fi, and completely counterintuitive. For example, you would think that to play music from the Android, you would open the Q app or you would have a "stream from Q" option in the music player, but it doesn't work like that. Your Android may deign to show you a "beam" icon which will give you this choice. If it does, everything is as expected. But it may not. If you don't see the icon, even when everything is set up, you can't use the Q. Touching the Q with your Android will briefly show you a "Tap to Beam" option (which you will tap but nothing will beam) and then try to get you to download the Q app again. And again. Frustration ensues. Right now the Q is sitting on my console doing nothing and I am trying to decide if I want to bother to get it to work. Google's help forums were characteristically not helpful, but the Q is uncharacteristically elegant looking, even in repose.
Key Specs
TYPE
Audio / video player
VIDEO SERVICES
Youtube, Other
AUDIO SERVICES
Other
VIDEO OUTPUTS
HDMI
AUDIO OUTPUTS
TOSLINK (optical)
WIFI
Yes
ETHERNET
10/100 [Fast Ethernet]
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