Sales have already stopped, and support will soon be discontinued.
A further end-of-life for the Glass device, which was intended to usher in a revolution in augmented reality, was announced this week with Google’s announcement that it would no longer be selling Google Glass Enterprise Edition.
Glass was initially introduced in 2013 to a small audience with the intention of revolutionizing computing. Users of the headset could view a modest bit of information and take pictures of their surroundings thanks to the head-up display and built-in camera that were provided.
Although it was embraced by certain computer enthusiasts, it was widely ridiculed for its nerdy design, limited functionality, and probable involvement in invading the privacy of those nearby the user. The criticism was so ferocious that wearing it was occasionally referred to as being a “Glasshole” by those who wore it.
the first version, which aimed to appeal to mainstream consumers, was withdrawn in 2015. Two years later, Google unveiled Google Glass Enterprise Edition, with the intention of selling the product for specific applications in the construction and medical industries. This week, Google Glass Business Edition 2 was discontinued, an improved version that was first unveiled in 2019.
version, which aimed to appeal to mainstream consumers, was withdrawn in 2015. Google released the Google Glass Enterprise Edition two years later. According to Google, support for the product will finish on September 15 and sales will stop on March 15. The end-of-support date marks the cutoff point after which Google will no longer replace broken devices even though no more software updates are anticipated. Glass headsets now in use will continue to function after September 15 if businesses choose to keep using them.
Although Google hasn’t made any intentions to revive the Google Glass brand following this, it is known that the corporation is developing various varieties of augmented reality glasses for potential future release. In 2020, Google acquired smart glasses manufacturer North, and since then, it has been developing an AR wearable with the internal codename
version, which aimed to appeal to mainstream consumers, was withdrawn in 2015. Google released the Google Glass Enterprise Edition two years later. According to Google, support for the product will finish on September 15 and sales will stop on March 15. No more software upgrades are anticipated, but Project Iris, which was described in media reports as looking like ski goggles last year, will no longer get support after that date.
Apple and Meta, two rivals, have also been developing AR glasses with the goal of releasing them to consumers at some point in the future, but due to optical and battery technological restrictions, it’s probable that they’re still some time away from becoming widely used.
But, a few recent and prospective VR headsets (perhaps including the long-rumored, long-delayed Apple headset that purportedly will launch this year) incorporate cameras and other advanced features.
passthrough skills that may be able to make some AR-like features possible.
All of this simply means that augmented reality is a long way from becoming a widely used consumer good. Yet, given Google Glass’s second end-of-life and Microsoft’s most recent round of layoffs in its mixed reality group, even enterprise adoption is not progressing as quickly as some in the sector had hoped or anticipated—at least not yet.
