Improved iteration in the works.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Say goodbye to the first version of Google Glass, and prepare for a new and improved iteration of the cutting-edge project.
Google Glass originally got its start at Google X — the company’s experimental division — but it’s now leaving the Google X sandbox to stand tall as its own entity. The Wall Street Journal reports Google Glass is becoming its own division under Ivy Ross, whose team will in turn report to Nest CEO Tony Fadell.
Google will cease all sales of the current Google Glass hardware on January 19, although it will remain available to companies and developers for professional applications.
The Google Glass program was launched in the U.S. in 2013. Early adopters were excited about the product, which allows the user to glean information from a small screen above their eye, take photos and videos, and get navigational directions.
Since its introduction, the device has not continued to capture the minds of the masses quite like Google initially expected to, with the upgraded eyewear even gaining notoriety as a taboo in many settings. Eventually, even those who originally sang its praises started complaining it was not evolving in the ways that had been promised.
The experiment is still being viewed as a relative success, and Google has stated it is committed to working on future versions of the product. Fadell is certainly optimistic, saying the project broke ground “and allowed [the Google Glass team] to learn what’s important to consumers and enterprises alike.”
Other companies have launched their own smart glasses to try and succeed where Google did not, but so far, none have proved to be the next big thing in wearable consumer tech.