Google Nexus Q: A product in search of a use case

Google is one of those companies that will innovate for innovation's sake. Sometimes they release products with no apparent market or demand and many times such "experiments" are only stepping stones toward bigger plans that aren't immediately palpable. Such is the case, IMO, with the Nexus Q. In spite of its sleek, modern and enigmatic design, in reality it's a device that lacks a clear use case. With no life of its own, the Q in its current form is playing the role of a middle man and a fairly useless at that.



Google decided to market it as a "social" media player. But I don't think it's a particular strong selling point. For one, there are several services out there that can help managing and hosting video/music parties and doesn't require people to have their content stored/hosted on Google services. Secondly, although this might improve later on, pairing and joining a Q party is not the most straight-forward process. And lastly, the device requires a big TV screen or stereo to be within reach of its output cables in order for the whole "social" aspect to work.

Also, as said above, the device has no life of its own, doesn't store the content (which is understandable given the copyright mess it would create otherwise), and generally speaking feels like noting more than an expensive hi-tech conversation piece. A Roku, for instance, although somewhat similar in functionality to that of the Q, has earned their place in the TV stand by providing streaming from different providers, very easy to use and setup and has a life of its own in that it doesn't depend on other devices to function.

So, I'm wondering what Google's ulterior motive is with the Nexus Q. Perhaps they want to start with the small scope of "social media player" and later use the Q as the platform for a home media hub? Given that it has the same chipset as the Galaxy Nexus (sans the GSM/CDMA/GPS radios) it would not be far fetched to think the player's OS and firmaware can be upgraded to add more functionality although it its current design it is somewhat limited in terms what can connect to it (1 Micro USB, 1 HDMI and WiFi), so there's a limit as to what they can do. Otherwise, I'm not really sure what they could be envisioning long term with Nexus Q, if anything.