Look For New, Improved Google Glass In The Future

Updated on

Google Glass might be gone, but it’s not forgotten. In fact, a new and improved Google Glass is currently under development, but consumers are not likely to see (through) the new device for at least another year or so.

According to an article in the New York Times, the Google product development team is hard at work in Mountainview right now, using feedback from consumers to design the new Google Glass product “from scratch”. Of note, despite the huge hoopla surrounding the original Google Glass, it was intended to be and offered as a prototype product.

More on the new Google Glass

Up and comer Tony Fadell, the founder of smart thermostat maker Nest Labs (acquired by Google a year ago), heads up the new Glass team, and according to the New York Times sources, he plans to completely redesign the device.

Fadell, who was an Apple exec for a number of years, plans to revamp the product from the bottom up for purpose and appearance, and will not release the new Glass until it is fully ready to go.

“There will be no public experimentation,” one adviser to Fadell told the NYT. “Tony is a product guy and he’s not going to release something until it’s perfect.”

A number of sources have confirmed that Intel will provide the chip for the next version of Glass, replacing the the chip from Texas Instruments that powers the current version of the headset.

Problems with original Google Glass

The fashion industry turned its nose up at the original Google Glass because of its clunky design, arguably intentionally conspicuous to allay worries about covert filming or surveillance.

Analysts said that ultimately the device could get away from its geeky image, given the display that juts out from the frame in front of the lens as well as the large battery pack. Google tried hard to make Glass cool, establishing several high-profile collaborations with brands including Luxottica (Ray Ban) and Diane von Furtstenburg.

However, the headset was constructed from titanium as a unit, meaning it could not be folded up like a pair of glasses. A number of users also reported that focusing on a display so close to their eye led to headaches and even disorientation.

Leave a Comment