It’s really over for Google Glass this time, eleven years after their presentation. And without ever having kept the promised promises. Last week, the search engine stopped marketing its glasses, which will remain the symbol of an era in which it invested heavily in futuristic projects. After the initial enthusiasm, they never found their audience. Since 2017 they are only sold to companies. Despite this failure, Google is making sure it hasn’t given up on its ambitions in augmented reality. Since last summer, he has also been testing several prototype glasses that, in particular, make it possible to translate a conversation in real time or display an itinerary.
Few applications – In the beginning, the Glass wasn’t strictly a pair of glasses because it didn’t have lenses. Above the right eye, a small transparent screen showed menus, emails, photos… It was like watching a small TV hovering 2-3 meters in front of you. Many reasons can explain their failure: their high price, initially set at $1,500, their too futuristic design, or the rejection they aroused, especially because of fears for privacy. Especially the glasses never proved their usefulness. The experience promised in the presentation video was far from what was actually offered. Both in terms of ergonomics and the applications available.
Professional Market – Very quickly, the Glasses went into a downward spiral: without a killer app, it was impossible to attract users and thus convince developers to design applications. Faced with these various problems, Google has been looking for solutions. For example, the company partnered with Ray-Ban’s parent company, Luxottica, to create new frames that never saw the light of day. She also asked Tony Fadell, the creator of the iPod, for help. In 2015, Google stopped marketing for the first time. Then, two years later, he launches a second version, dedicated exclusively to the professional market, where the price and design are less important.
moon shots – The glasses launched inside Google X, the lab working on futuristic, even imaginative, projects. Dubbed moonshots internally, they symbolized the Mountain View Group’s desire, led by its founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, to reinvest some of its gargantuan profits to tackle “the toughest problems to solve.” Driverless cars were also born in this structure and have since nested in a new company called Waymo. However, very few projects have resulted in anything concrete. Not to mention all those who have never progressed far enough to be revealed to the public. In recent years, Google has greatly reduced its spending in this area.
For further:
– Growth faltering, Google fires in turn
– Google is trying to keep the secrets of its self-driving cars