Google removes Nexus Q from Android landing page

Google appears to have used the smokescreen of its Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 launch announcement to quietly sweep a less successful Android-powered product under the rug: the Nexus Q.

Originally unveiled at the Google I/O Conference in June, the Nexus Q is a sphere-shaped media streaming device designed to connect to a TV and speaker system. It was Google’s answer to Apple’s TV, but its high price – $299, some $200 more than Apple’s equivalent product – and unproven design didn’t endear it to the public.

The project was hit with delays as Google sought to address concerns raised in first-look reviews, with the company finally announcing in August that it would delay the device indefinitely as it worked out the bugs – but that everyone who had pre-ordered a unit would be receiving one free of charge to compensate.

Now, however, it seems unlikely that the Nexus Q will even see the light of day. The company’s Android product landing page, updated to reflect the launch of the Nexus 4 smartphone and Nexus 10 tablet, no longer features the Nexus Q at all. The product is still available for US customers to view in the Google Play store, but cannot be purchased – and we wouldn’t be surprised if Google removes the listing in the near future.

It seems that the advertising giant misjudged the Nexus Q’s appeal, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar product hit the market in the very near future at a much lower cost – instantly addressing most of the issues with the high-price Nexus Q.