TECH

What happened to Google Glass?

It went down in the books as a gigantic failure: Google Glass. Glasses that combined the real and digital world, but were pulled from the market in less than a year. What went wrong with Google Glass and will the technology come back?

AR in the form of Google Glass...Augmented reality – literally translated as 'added reality' – is a concept you hear and encounter more and more on mobile devices like your smartphone. Digital elements are added to the real world through the camera. Consider, for example, the IKEA app, which digitally places furniture in your living room before you buy it. Or Charlie Temple, where you can try glasses on online before ordering.

AR is easily confused with VR – virtual reality – where you, as a user with a VR headset, are in a fully digital world. Augmented reality is all about combining the digital and real world.

In part due to the powerful cameras and hardware in today's smartphones, we see AR more and more often, but that was different over a decade ago. In this article, we take you to one of the pioneers of AR, Google Glass. A wearable computer in the form of glasses that overlays digital applications on top of the real world.

History of Google Glass...Google started developing Glass in 2010. The idea of making a portable computer always ready for you was ambitious and complex, but after a year the first prototype was born. One problem: it weighed almost four kilos. For comparison: an average pair of glasses weighs about 25 grams.

In 2012, Google introduced the recognizable Glass for the first time. The glasses were lightweight but had a striking design that wasn't to everyone's taste. There was an onboard camera, a prism on which applications are displayed, and a speaker was built into the back of the leg.

In 2013, the first prototype – the Explorer Edition – went on sale. Not for consumers, but for developers. With this first edition, they managed to develop and test applications for smart glasses, but also individuals managed to take over the glasses. The launch consisted of 'only' 8,000 glasses with a high price, i.e. 1,500 dollars (!).

Not a warm welcome for Glass...And that price has gone down the wrong way with many. 1500 dollars for glasses with relatively little addition to reality. For a third of the money you bought a decent smartphone with more functions and a better camera. Users saw no point in buying the smart glasses.

Furthermore, Google Glass has caused many ethical discussions. Users can film in public without viewers noticing. At a time when smart products were emerging and privacy was becoming more and more important, this caused quite a stir.

Also, the features the Glass had — built-in screen, video recording, and Wi-Fi connectivity — consumed a lot of power, so the Glass's battery didn't even last a day. This also ensured that the consumer was not drawn into the product.

As a final downside, Google came out around the same time with Android Wear, an operating system for smartwatches that communicates with your smartphone. As a result, the range of smartwatches grew enormously, which was much more attractive to consumers.

Changed focus...Google Glass, therefore, was not welcomed with open arms by the consumer, but that wasn't all that strange. Google Glass was a prototype that was simply not intended for the general public. When the glasses were made available to consumers in 2014, the damage was already done and Google stopped selling them less than a year later.

Tech sites were full of it: 'Google is stopping Glass' and 'Google Glass failed', but in practice it turned out to be a little different. The focus of the product has changed. With the improved Glass Enterprise Edition, Google is targeting commercial use from 2017 onwards, where glasses – in a controlled environment – come into their own.

We are now on Glass Enterprise Edition 2. Courier company DHL uses these glasses when compiling orders. During technical operations on medical equipment, GE electrical professionals assist with a technician's view. Google Glass may have disappeared from the public eye, but Google is still betting on it.

The Resurgence of Wearable AR...But Why Is It Relevant Now? Augmented reality is on the rise on mobile devices and big parties are betting on AR headsets. For example, Microsoft has already released several HoloLens headsets and the new Meta Quest Pro - VR glasses - also have impressive AR functionality, like expanding your simple laptop into a dream computer setup.

Google itself is also fully involved in the development of a new AR headset. In late 2022, the company has indicated that it will test the AR glasses in public. To avoid privacy commotion, the new glasses show a light while recording.

A transition to the general public appears to come later. Tech sites have been waiting for Apple's augmented reality glasses for years. They're expecting a relatively compact headset with VR and AR capabilities, which will actually appear in late 2023. It's probably a high-end product and we're curious about the reviews.

We wouldn't be surprised if Apple's glasses cause a real AR boom. Think headphone removal and the first AirPods: if Apple does one thing 'right', the rest will (probably) copy it.

Source: Android Planet