On a day where the Pixel C showed up on the Google Store, it seems the folks at Google have been busy. Not only did the Pixel C show up but the the Fossil Q Founder, Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones, and OnHub covers have also been added – the catch is that without some trickery you cannot buy any of them, as they’re on the US version of the Google Store.
The Fossil Q Founder is well-known watchmaker Fossil’s first, stylish foray into the smartwatch world and is available now with a stainless steel band for US$295, or the leather version that will be priced at US$270US (although even Google only lists it as “Coming soon”).
For us Aussies though, there’s no “Coming soon”, no “Out of Stock”, nothing at all for the Founder Q on the Australian Google Store. You can also purchase through Fossil’s online store for the same price but unfortunately they also won’t ship that specific item to Australia. If you have a friend in the US, you might be able to get them to go to a bricks-and-mortar Fossil store, as some are showing “Limited Stock” (as opposed to “Out of Stock”) in Fossil’s store locator.
We have reached out to Fossil Australia for any information as to if/when it is coming to our shores and we will endeavour to keep you updated as we hear more.
Bose’s QuietComfort 25 headphones also showed up on the Google Store for US$299 – certainly a premium price for a premium product. We reviewed the QuietComfort 25 last year, and Bose launched an Android-friendly version back in March, so it has taken a while for them to make their way to the Google Store and once again they’re not available for Australians to purchase – at least Bose headphones can be readily purchased elsewhere.
Finally, another interesting addition to the US Google Store today was the “Shell for OnHub from TP-LINK”. Announced on the Google Blogspot these three new interchangeable shells allow you to change how your router looks – because routers actually do work better when they’re out in the open, so you apparently need the ability to customise their look to suit your room. Google also announced a Maker Packet to allow designers to design and build their own shells. The shells on the Google Store sell for US$29-39, and with the OnHub products not yet available in Australia it’s not surprising that these items are also US-only.
As is often the case, the new products have shown up on the US Google Store before they are available to us here in Australia. While we have come to expect it, it doesn’t stop us being disappointed once again – aren’t we always told that we’re in a global economy, after all? Hopefully today’s additions will make it to our shores one day.
If you do want to purchase these items – and do be careful of the AU-US dollar conversion, because they all cost about AU$25,000 each with the weak Australian dollar – you should be able to do so with a US Google account and a US-based freight forwarder.
Which of these products do you want to see come to Australia first? Tell us in the comments!
I picked up a Fossil Q Founder on holiday to replace my LG G watch which had been lagging quite a bit. I’m really loving it, it looks like a proper watch, and I’ve previously bought fossil watches. I’m finding it’s really quite good. Responsive, clear, looks like a normal watch. The wireless charger looks like a watch holder that slots into a watch case and easier to charge than my LG G watch that was always a bit of a pain getting the charging points to line up properly. I’m getting easily a full day of use out of… Read more »
1GB ram, now we are talking 🙂
the Onhub shells, i would grab a couple and use the others as a vases for some indoor pot plants, help with the blending