Google To Take On Sonos With Its First Android@Home Product, The Nexus Q

Google is getting into the hardware game, and not just with its purchase of handset and set-top box maker Motorola. The company is announcing today the launch of its first Android@Home product, the Nexus Q. Shaped like a big black octopus, the wireless music streaming box looks like a direct competitor to Sonos, and will let users connect all their mobile phones and tablets to the device using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The launch of the box comes a year after Google announced its Android@Home initiative at last year’s I/O developer conference, and has been anticipated since the Wall Street Journal reported on the existence of the product earlier this year.

But now we know a little bit more about the device, thanks to a leaked page ahead of the Google I/O keynote. For one thing, the device will cost $299 and will allow users to power a pair of bookshelf speakers directly with a built-in 25W amp, or connect the device to a user’s AV receiver or HDTV. Users can deploy multiple Nexus Qs around a house to reach multiple rooms.