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Google Unveils Nexus Q Streaming Media Player

Chloe Albanesius
 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Google today unveiled the Nexus Q, a "social" streaming media player that provides access to your Google entertainment content in the cloud.

The $299 device is available for pre-order now via Google Play and it will start shipping in the U.S. in mid-July.

The 4.6-inch sphere weighs in at 2 pounds and lets users stream content from Google Play and YouTube to speakers and screens in the house. Nexus Q can be paired with bookshelf speakers via the built-in 25W amp, or connect to an AV receiver or HDTV.

"Anyone in the room can use their Android phone or tablet to control what's playing and add their own entertainment to the mix," Google said.

At the Google I/O developer conference, Google execs called Nexus Q an Android computer for your home. The company talked up the social component of of the device, which will essentially let you bring all your movies and music to a friend's house, provided they are saved via Google Play.

Movies will sync up, so if you were watching a movie at one person's house last night and want to pick up elsewhere the next day, it'll just start playing via Nexus Q.

The Nexus Q runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and includes 16GB of NAND flash memory and 1GB of RAM. It will run an OMAP4460 dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and SGX540 graphics core. There's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC connectivity, as well as various connections, like Micro HDMI, Micro AB USB, Ethernet, and more.

Google today also unveiled Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and its Nexus 7 tablet from Asus.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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