Calling $q.when takes a promise or any other type, if it is not a promise then it will wrap it in a promise and call resolve. If you pass a value to it then it is never going to be rejected.
From the docs:
Wraps an object that might be a value or a (3rd party) then-able promise into a $q promise. This is useful when you are dealing with an object that might or might not be a promise, or if the promise comes from a source that can’t be trusted.