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2012 saw the release of an outbreaking future tech product: Google Glass; a gadget in the
style of an invention you might have seen previously on any Mission Impossible movie.
Its primary aim was to bring you the information you need into view when you need it, with
a hands-free system. In fact, analyzing the features of this
invention might make you feel like you are living in a Black Mirror episode. Well, Google
Glass was never as popular as the dystopian futuristic Netflix series. Dystopian, however,
might be a good way of describing its performance as a commercial product and, as well, its
outcome, that now seems to be close to an end or at least far from its original purpose. When
did the criticism toward this product start? To be honest, as soon as it was announced
that it was going to be available to just a small number of users at launch and that
its cost was going to be $1.500.
After facing many issues for several years, Google announced the end
of the first iteration of the augmented reality
smart glasses: the Glass Explorer Edition. However, it doesn’t mean the final goodbye,
as now they are leaning on a new approach with the “Enterprise Edition”, a business-driven
model that was officially launched in 2017. In this video of Startup Forensics, we will go
over the starting point of this product, the company’s original expectations with its
release, the apparently attractive characteristics that it offered and the problems that accompanied
it during its short life. As well, we’ll share some details of what might seem to be
the future for this face worn computer device. We'll also talk about competitors that
might have learned which way not to go, considering the failures of this shattered Google’s
product. This is Startup Forensics: Google Glass.
How and why was it released?
The primary aim of Google Glass was to display all the information the users needed,
presenting it into their eye’s view. When it was presented during Google’s io
in Mountain View, California in 2012, it seemed it was going to bring a glimpse into the future
tech. The first model was called Glass Explorer
launched in 2013.
The company really wanted this product to succeed and the announced it
with great fanfare. The spy-alike wearable invention was described by some as
a heads-up display but the reality is that, as soon as it came out, criticism started
both from users and specialized journalists. At the very beginning, if you wanted to get
the glasses, you needed more than $1.500, but at the same time, you needed to be on
a very VIP list that included Google I/O developers and some privileged Twitter users. By the
way, how could someone be privileged via Twitter? Did this $1.500 price make sense considering
its early and experimental device? Maybe not… These series of obstacles made the invention not
only unattractive but also a little bit of a meme. The design also generated
some negative reviews. The bulky frames, not that similar to a conventional pair of
glasses, was a point of conversation. Even the offensive moniker “Glasshole” brought
some attention to the glasses, but not for a convincing attribute.
Were there more questionings about the gadget? For sure, but to understand them, first we
need to go over the details of why Google thought their smart glasses might be a good
commercial idea. Long story short, they are a set of glasses that include a screen to
the user’s eyesight and bring new possibilities for them to interact with the world. The
Glass was developed by Google X division and it came with an optical head-mounted display,
with almost the same shape of a pair of normal eyeglasses, including a visible display. For
the time of its release, it was kind of ahead of its time, with technologically advanced
features that bring to life directions, emails, weather forecasts, a personalized contact
list and everything with a tap of the frame or with voice commands, triggered with a friendly
“OK, Glass”
The Pros and ConsAfter going over the menu system some attractive features will come
up, including a guide to your city to travel around easily. There was also a universal
translator, called The Word Lens, useful for converting any language from menus, road signs
of printed text. It was just like carrying an interpreter
with you. “Refresh” was also attractive, turning the glasses into a personal assistant
capable of sharing information of the people the user was about to meet with,
just by collecting selected data from social networks and your own Google Calendar. A
lot of things, right? But now we need to make a stop into one of the most important features
that it had: a built-in camera that allowed you to use the frames to take pictures and
shoot video. This was not only one of its main attributes but one of its
controversial characteristics. The 5 MP camera came with a lot of criticism,
especially because it’s kind of invasive to be able to save memories all day long from
a first witness point-of-view without the permission of anyone in front of it.
This issue was not a minor thing. During the first
few months after the product’s release, some public places announced they were going
to ban completely the device in their properties because they might be violating existing privacy
laws. “Are you recording me?” was a common question
thrown around for smart glass users. Mostly by many intrigued or furious people in the
streets. Obviously, not everyone would be in favor of being filmed or pictured,
in public places. At the point of
release Google Glass presented three big concerns: its bulky price, some big privacy
issues, and its design. When the problems came in.
It was obvious it was not going to be the planned hit. So what did Google do? First, its fate went
over an extended quiet for some time, leaving it in the dark for a certain period. Then,
it was in 2015 that they pulled off the shelves and replaced this wearable with an enterprise-focused
device. That year they stopped making it available to consumers, but something else came on the
way. The company discovered the gadget was becoming popular in work environments. Before
going over to the second generation we should
clarify something. Why are we talking about this product? Because it’s now
getting its final update, marking the end of an era… or well, it might sound like
an exaggeration. At least it’s marking the end of a not too privileged lifetime period. The
latest announcement from Google indicated that they’re rolling out a new and final
software update for their Google Glass Explorer Edition wearable. This update means that after February 25th, 2020
it will no longer be possible to link Glass with a Google account.
Then the device will be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, but without any Google backend
services. At the same time, apps like YouTube, Hangouts, and Gmail will stop working.
What does this mean? Mainly that, after this last update, Google is gently sending its
Explorer edition model not to a freezer but to a grave, when some of its more attractive
features will cease to function. Let’s go back a few years ago while Google
tested waters. At the same time some competitors came on board in the smart glasses industry,
and, with smart glasses we mean those devices able to beam graphics and notifications with
internal smart modules. Bosch Sensortec, for example, launched a wearable technology
called Smartglasses Light Drive, with a more attractive look and feel, with far fewer possibilities
to bring a moniker to its user. It has no visible display nor integrated camera, avoiding,
this way, the criticism Google Glass had since day one. Now there are also rumors about
Apple working on a branded augmented reality option to release on the market. While the
new version of Google is Android-base, this one will be sold as an iPhone accessory and
we might see it in the market in 2020. While one may think that this means Google Glass
derailed completely from the company’s expectations but that fact is that
though this one failed, it meant the birth of another device that seems to be performing
better. The Enterprise version of the Sci-Fi glasses became a successful
invention for another audience. The business-targeted smart glasses
headset has been already released in two models. Their cost: $999. Recently,
the Project Lead of Glass,
Jay Kothari, announced the latest version of the Enterprise, he assured that as their
customers had adopted Glass, they received valuable feedback that directly informed the
improvements in Glass Enterprise Edition 2. It’s evident that, with the new features of this
release, the company acknowledged most of the mistakes made in the design and development
of the Google Glass released in 2012. Among many important changes
they have reduced the cost to consumers
by almost 33% than the first model. The main objective of the Enterprise line is to improve
productivity in the workplace and, with this new goal on the horizon, they’re making
it, having a great acceptance in businesses eager to adopt it. It’s kind of early to
describe this model as a hit among industries, especially because the company is reluctant
to share the number of models sold, but at least it has shown that it has been of great
help for employees to work better, smarter and faster in areas like logistics, manufacturing
or medicine, among others. It allows professionals to access information with hands-free access
while working. Among the known clients using these devices is airplane enterprise Boeing,
or the startup in the medical world, called Augmedix. Now, the glasses are being used
to save time to the doctors, that are able to see more patients while attending phone
calls or analyzing lab results. Giving a second life to Glass-related smart inventions
was, for sure, a smart move by Google. Now the lenses are not used in everyday life but
in the job, where they’re not going to have that many privacy concerns.
Is Google gaining ground again with the change in its business vision? (no pun intended).
When the company aimed to present a new face with the Enterprise device, they started breathing
again. It seems they’ve wisely found a way to reposition themselves in the augmented
reality business. The turning from Explorer to Enterprise edition seems to be taking full
effect and that the grass is greener on this side. In this case of Startup Forensics,
we'll call the body here not completely dead. Maybe we are talking about a zombie
or a resurrected being?