Nexus Player gets FCC stamp of approval, still out of stock
The Nexus Player was the surprise newcomer that Google unloaded when it announced the expected next generation of Nexus devices. The rather quirky multimedia set-top box, or circle rather, wasn't apparently done surprising us. As quick as it had come to pre-order availability in Google Play Store, it was quickly marked as out of stock, speculated to be due to FCC regulation issues. Now, however, the Nexus Player has been spotted in FCC's database, paving the way for its return and, hopefully, its eventual launch.
The Nexus Player, like the Nexus 9 tablet, was scheduled to go into pre-order period last Friday, which it did, appearing on the pages of Google's Devices section on Play Store. However, it was strangely marked as out of inventory even before a single pre-order could be accepted. The reason being put behind it was that the Nexus Player, despite already announced, wasn't cleared for take off by the FCC, which of course regulates all things related to communications, which the Nexus Player does have, at least for WiFi and Bluetooth. Naturally, it generated some worries about delays, which might now all be moot since the device has finally reached the FCC.
The FCC documents were noted to have been submitted October 18, just a day after the device went on pre-order. As far as FCC filings go, this one is relatively sparse and no new information can be gleaned aside from the usual FCC required labels and where they should be placed. Suffice it to say, the most important fact about the filing is that it has been filed, which removes any remaining legal hurdles for the sale of the Nexus Player, at least in the US. It's still a bit amusing that Google get these things sorted out even before it announced the device. Perhaps it wanted the Nexus Player to be a complete surprise.
That said, the device is still marked as "out of inventory" at the time of this writing, which should probably change to something more favorable tomorrow. Whether or not that will cause any delay in the actual shipping of the Nexus Player is still something to be seen, if Google ever announces exact dates at all. The Nexus Player itself costs $99 and comes with the voice-enabled remote. If you want the Bluetooth gamepad however, you will have to order it separately for $39.99.
SOURCE: FCC
VIA: Engadget