Google Glass Future In Question As Early Believers Lose Faith

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Google Glass was worn by the company’s co-founder Sergey Brin at almost every high-profile event and every public appearance he’s made over the last two years. However, at a Silicon Valley red-carpet event on Sunday, Brin was spotted at without the device. Does this suggest fading popularity for the gadget that has the capability of transforming eyeglasses into a spy-movie worthy technology?

Is the magic fading?

When asked about his Google Glass, Brin said that he had left his pair in the car. The top-secret lab in which the Glass was developed is headed by Brin, and he was recently seen wearing them at the beach.

Brin leaving his Glass in the car almost seems symbolic, as the product has already been given up by many others including the developers and early Glass users, says a report from Reuters. Maybe this fading interest has even prompted Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to push back the roll out of Glass to the mass market. A test version of the device has been priced at $1500 by the company, and it comes with a camera, a processor and stamp-sized computer screen mounted to the edge of eyeglass frames.

Developers leaving Google Glass

Google Glass could well be in demand at certain workplaces for its capabilities as it can facilitate jobs with  specialized requirements. However, many developers believe that the device does not have a bright future and won’t be a big hit with consumers.

Reuters contacted 16 Glass app makers, and it found that nine of them had either abandoned their projects or stopped working on them altogether. The major reasons cited were the lack of customers and device limitations. Three developers who were working on apps for the consumer now wish to develop for business.

That said, a large number of developers continue working for Google Glass. The official website for thedevioce mentions around 100 apps, with Facebook and OpenTable also part of it.

“We are as committed as ever to a consumer launch. That is going to take time and we are not going to launch this product until it’s absolutely ready,” said Google Glass Head of Business Operations Chris O’Neill.

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