Google Glass Is Back!

Will it be second time lucky for Google Glass?
When Google Glass prototype first became available to the public in May 2014, we were led to believe that the future was upon us. We would no longer need our devices to navigate the world; our devices would be part of us. Looking at our phones would be passé and augmented reality would be the new norm. Our devices would be us and we would be our devices.
But not so fast.
After much hype, Google Glass 1.0 turned out to be quite a flop. The reason for this wasn’t so much to do with the technology, but with the concept behind it. Once influencers, tech journalists and early adopters got their hands on it, it wasn’t entirely clear to the rest of the world why they should clamor to do so too. In other words, while aiming the product at consumers, the company didn’t make it clear why it was a device that consumers needed. As Forbes contributor Ian Altman put it, “Google Glass didn’t fail because of the technology, rather because it wasn’t clear to the customer what problem it solved or why they needed it.”. In addition, the high price tag of the first version—$1,500—was far too high for mass adoption, meaning that only true devotees or tech enthusiasts saw fit to spend so much money on a device they weren’t sure they needed.
Frankly, for a company that has so many resources and poured so much into making Google Glass a hit, this failure was quite an embarrassment. In January 2015, the company announced the prototype phase of the project was over. Amidst all the think pieces about why the device had not been a hit, it looked as though Google was quietly retreating, tail between legs, hoping that no one would really notice.
However, it looks like when the company said the “experimental” phase was merely over, they weren’t lying. In late December 2015, Google filed a new application with the Federal Communications Commission for a new version of the Google Glass. This has given techies a window into what the next generation of Google Glass could look like, and if the company has addressed any of the issues—either conceptual or technical—with the first version. Though information is scant, here’s a round-up of what is known so far about Google Glass 2.0:
From “explore” to “enterprise”: As the first version was aimed at consumers, the second version is reportedly aimed at helping in the workplace, which could signal that Google is aware that the first consumer version didn’t provide enough practical utility to the average person. It’s rumored that the workplace prototype is already being tested, though it’s not known where or by whom.
The specs: According to Mashable, the new version of Google Glass has a “larger glass prism, a faster Intel Atom processor, 5GHz Wi-Fi for more bandwidth-intensive tasks such as video streaming, and a more rugged and waterproof design”. The larger display could be a nod to the fact that the general trend in tech and mobile devices has been towards bigger screens and displays.
Stowable: The initial Google Glass version was designed to be worn all the time. This was evidenced by the fact that it was difficult to stow properly in any way other than in its hard-shell case, which is a cumbersome process to be doing all the time. The new version is reported to include a hinge where the wearable portion meets the glass prism. It seems that this is designed to make it easier to stow away quickly in a pocket, signaling that Google has learned that perhaps sometimes wearers need a break from “augmented reality”.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on the wearables market as 2016 continues, make sure you’re watching The VPS.NET Blog to stay up-to-date!