The fully-polished version of Google Glass will ship in late 2013, and will cost less than $1500, Google said on Friday.
Google still hasn’t named an exact price or release date for Glass, but this is the clearest the company has been on what we can expect for availability of its eyewear computer.
The news, reported by The Verge and confirmed to us by a Google representative, follows Google’s announcement of the feature list for Glass earlier this week, along with an expanded “Glass Explorer” program for people who are willing to apply for a $1,500 prototype. As the company explained in a video, users will be able to activate voice controls by saying “OK Glass,” and then say things like “Hang out with..” to make a video call. Users will also be able to search the web, get directions, take photos and video, get translations and see notifications from Google Now.
Google is also in talks with Warby Parker, a manufacturer of trendy eyeglasses, to make the frames on Glass more fashionable, according to unnamed sources cited by the New York Times. Google has not revealed what the finished version of Glass might look like. The existing prototype’s computing element is a bulky attachment that runs alongside one temple and wraps over one lens, leading to the display. Even if Google can bring the price down on Glass, the looks of the device, at least as it stands right now, could be a major barrier to mainstream adoption.
One other bit of Glass-related news this week: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly quite excited about the technology. According to Forbes, Zuckerberg and Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin had an informal meeting after an unrelated event where Zuckerberg was eager to check out the tech. I wouldn’t read into the implications—Facebook and Google are now competing in social networking, after all—but at least it’s refreshing to hear about two tech rivals geeking out together.
[PCWorld]