Google removes Nexus Q from storefront, not for sale at Play Store

Wouldn't it be fascinating to peek into the R&D vault at Google's Mountain View, Calif. headquarters?

That's what the Nexus Q feels like: a glimpse at Google's more impractical side, a strange device with an unfamiliar aesthetic and dubious practical value.

Yet the Nexus Q was released in July, with an unconventional launch that saw the device delayed as customers who pre-ordered it somehow received one for free.

This week, though, Google appeared to be distancing itself from the social streaming orb, though the company so far hasn't admitted as much.

The Nexus Q's next trick: disappearing?

As of Monday, the Nexus Q can no longer be found on Google's official Nexus page, replaced by just released Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.

The Nexus Q can still be found in Google's Play Store, though it's no longer listed as in stock: instead its page reads, "This device is not for sale at this time," and reportedly has not been for some time.

According to Engadget, Google doesn't have "anything to share at this time" regarding the status of the Q.

Nexus Q will be missed...maybe

The most ambitious aspect of Google's Nexus Q streaming device is its simplicity. Oh, and the fact that it looks like an alien orb from a sci-fi movie.

The Nexus Q's output and input jacks are minimal, but its wireless connectivity within the Android ecosystem is by far its best feature.

At $299 (UK£185, AUD$288), though, it's a tough sell. Whether Google revamps the Nexus Q or simply squashes it entirely, it seems like the device in its current form simply wasn't meant for wider success.

Via Engadget