Google Glass, Nexus Q, Nexus Tablet Overview
If you did not have time to watch the Google I/O keynote, nor the time to read through the myriads of news that every tech site and many others posted about the devices and technologies introduced during the keynote, then this short to the point overview of what happened may be to get you on a par with people who did spend the time.
First up is Google Glass, Google's glasses with extras technology that has been making the rounds even before the keynote day. It basically consists of a pair of glasses that you can interact with. Unlike regular glasses, Google's device ships with a small screen that is displayed on the right side. According to journalists who had the chance to use the device, the glasses feel very light, and the contents on the screen are outside the normal field of view.
As far as things go that you can do with the device right now, it appears limited to photo and video taking, and maybe a few other features that were not revealed yet. Hardware spec-wise Google revealed that the glasses make use of an accelerometer and gyroscope, and that controlling the glasses will actually be a mixture of voice commands and using the big - rather bulky - touchpad area at the front.
Google Glass remains a prototype throughout 2012 and probably 2013. Developers interested in the device can get their hands on a prototype in 2013 for $1500, with the first consumer versions expected to arrive at the end of 2013 or even 2014 at a lower price point.
My take: For now, it is more of a play-thing than something that you can really work with. It is however likely that we will eventually see some professional uses for Google Glasses, like connectivity between the glasses and a smartphone to display notifications right on the glass. For now, it is science fiction, and it will stay that way for the next one or two years. It shows promise, but Google did not reveal enough to come to a conclusion right now.
Google Nexus 7 Tablet
When you look at the current tablet market you will notice that it is dominated by Apple's iPad, and that only Amazon managed to push out a solid number of Kindle Fire devices. With Microsoft preparing the tablet-friendly Windows 8, Google had to do something. The Google Nexus tablet is a 7-inch tablet that is powered by a quad-core processor and Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system that was revealed yesterday to the public.
- Wi-Fi but no 3G
- Bluetooth, NFC
- 1.3 megapixel camera
- 8 GB or 16 GB of internal storage
- HDMI out, headphone jack, USB
Probably the most interesting aspect of the tablet is its price, which is starting at $199, and will cost $249 for the 16 Gigabyte storage version. A 7-inch tablet at $199, does that remind you of something? Right, Amazon's Kindle Fire. Google's tablet therefore competes with Amazon's Android tablet, and not Apple's iPad (which has a larger screen and a higher price).
And just like Amazon, Google's trying to get users to spend money at the company's Google Play store. For that, Nexus owners get $25 in store credit and free media (magazines, a book and a movie) on top of their purchase.
The specs and price are definitely the strong selling point of the device. It too, unwillingly or not, puts lots of pressure on other manufacturers of Android tablets, as they now have to compete with a well-priced high performance system. We will have to wait to see how this one performs.
The Nexus tablet is already available for pre-order on Google Play, but unfortunately only for people from select countries. I received a message that Devices on Google Play is not available in my country yet.
My take: Great price, great device. Will put lots of pressure on other manufacturers, not so much on Apple or Microsoft (with its Surface tablet) as both cater to a different audience.
Nexus Q
This is without doubt the strangest device that Google showcased, and the one thing that most sites concentrated on is that it is made in the US. Google calls the device a social streaming media player. It is capable of streaming media from the cloud, represented by a Google Android phone or tablet, to a television. The social options seem rather weak at this point, with Google pointing out that you and your friends - provided they too have an Android device - can create social playlists while connected to Wi-Fi that the Nexus Q is connected to as well.
- Dual-core ARM Corext-A9 cpu
- Android 4.0
- 1 Ggiabyte of LPDDR Ram
- 16 Gigabyte NAND flash memory
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth, NFC
- Micro HDMI, TOSLink Optical audio, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet
- Micro AB USB
- Banana jack speaker outputs
- 25W class D amplifier
To best understand how this device is working, I'd suggest you take a look at the following video introducing the Nexus Q.
My take: The price destroys the device. Sorry to be that blunt but there are cheaper solutions available. Even Google TV, or Apple TV for that matter, are viable alternatives. Sure, you do not get the social interaction, but to be honest, who really needs that anyway?
Closing Words
Lots of new devices, all either not available right now or country-locked. The Nexus 7 tablet will likely make an impact on the tablet scene. The Nexus Q is too expensive and will likely bomb unless Google has an ace up its sleeve in terms of functionality or features. And the glasses, well, they won't be available for a year or two.
What's your take on what Google has shown so far?
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When was google it glasses I found they already put a Google Glasses in the Google Play Store see: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gau.go.launcherex.theme.goglasses .
When was google it glasses I found they already put a Google Glasses in the Google Play Store see: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gau.go.launcherex.theme.goglasses
As for Glass and Nexus Q – I wasn’t interested at all, because I don’t see use for them in my life.
At first I was optimistic on Nexus 7, but then read in comments that it features no memory card slot. Looks like I can get a decent alternative with card slot to play with what I want.
@ Doc,
Thanks for the correction but honestly, people like you get on my nerves. English may be your first language but you forget that world speaks other languages than English. Martin is German (right?) and his English is excellent, noting the fact that English is not widely spoken in Germany, not even on their TVs, everything is dubbed in German (which got on my nerve when I was there). So my point is, he gets his message across very well, a small spelling mistake, that even you would make at a time but pointing such tiny tiny thing is just mean (to my taste, at least).
“Google’s tablet therefor” – *therefore*
Thanks, corrected.
Nexus:
From video seems that google have inserted “nexus” inbetween the flow of data from virtual source to output unit, bit like a digital decoder box processing signals for an old analog telly. But manufacturers now build TVs with built in decoders, can’t be too long before you get “smart” hifi that could play your social network constructed playlist by communicating direct to source. There may be a market for nexus until the smart hi-fi etc comes along, but I think it will be a very small one. What is so different here that you couldn’t achieve with a website, pc and hi-fi?
Glasses:
I think people will still carry a smartphone like device for many moons to come, especially as so many use apps for work, play, and even.barcode scanning and accessing ATMs, so glasses won’t replace, just allow for a more immediate visual hands free experience. seeing augmented reality upfront rather than staring into a handheld gadget would be nice though.
I am so with you on all your conclusions. Google is touting cloud storage a lot (and I guess that is the reason why there is no memory card slot on Nexus 7) and on the other hand internet companies (at least in the US) are trying to cap your bandwidth, not at the moment but the plans are in the ‘cloud’. I wonder, in such circumstances, how google is hold up with its cloud theory. I loved Nexus Q but as you said, the price killed the device.
Secondly, I really want to see what Google is going to do with Motorola Mobility and how Samsung, HTC and other Android manufacturers are going to respond. I know Samsung is developing Bada quietly, what about others?
I actually have a Bada phone and did not really like it that much. My next phone will have a plain Android OS.
… puts lots of pressure on other manufacturers of Android tablets, as they now have to compete with a well-priced high performance system…. ?
No more pressure than put by Google’s Nexus phones on other Android phones, which is 0.