Google Glass isn’t dead, it’s just changing its focus

While most of us assumed that Google Glass was dead earlier this year, Google has since made it clear that it’s simply redesigning and refocusing the device, not killing it off. According to Re/code, the next version of Google’s smartglasses could be hitting the market by the end of the year, and while it’ll look more or less the same as its predecessor, it’s being designed as more of an enterprise device instead of focusing on regular consumers like the original one did. 

A new Google Glass is coming, possibly by the end of this year — but it will look pretty familiar. Re/code has learned that a version of the second edition of Google’s wearable, which was erroneously assumed dead when the search giant obfuscated about its future earlier this year, has already been distributed to the company’s Glass at Work enterprise partners. The new model, as reported by 9to5Google, can fold up like a traditional pair of glasses and is more rugged for outdoor use. However, unlike most other smart glasses, it still sports a small screen to the upper-right of the user’s vision, rather than displaying an image in the center of one’s view like the ODG R7 or Microsoft HoloLens. Glass at Work partners are talking regularly with the team under Tony Fadell, the Nest Labs honcho, who took over the Glass project earlier this year, about possible improvements to both hardware and software. The team hasn’t yet communicated specific details about pricing or timing for the next update of the hardware, several sources said, but one source expected it to come in well below the original Glass’ $1,500 price tag, to stay competitive with other smart glasses in the enterprise.