Google won’t be competing with Sonos after all – or not any time soon, anyway: The company just informed people who had pre-ordered the its Nexus Q device that it has “decided to postpone the consumer launch of Nexus Q while we work on making it even better,” according to an email first spotted by AllThingsD’s Liz Gannes. The company’s Google Play store now simply states that the device is “not for sale at this time.”
However, Google didn’t want to completely disappoint the folks who pre-ordered the Nexus Q in recent weeks, which is why it will be sending them free units of the device.
The about-face is likely in response to the overwhelmingly negative reviews the device has been getting. The Nexus Q is based on Android 4.0, but can only be used with a second-screen remote control, and the only content playable on the $ 300 unit is music stored on Google Play, movies and TV shows from Google Play and YouTube videos.
Check out our video review of the Nexus Q below:
Watch this video for free on GigaOM
Still, it looks like some of the technology developed for the Nexus Q will live on, regardless of whether Google is going to eventually revive the device. GigaOM was first to report last week that the Nexus Q’s second-screen experience, which bears similarities to Apple’s AirPlay, is going to come to Google TV later this year.
