If you've been browsing the web in recent hours, you probably know that Google has decided to end its Explorer program and suspend public sales of its Glass device starting January 19. According to the Mountain View giant, this marks a transition for Google Glass, moving from experiment to independent project. However, to many, it is nothing more than a camouflaged end. What happens next?
The End of an Experiment
The original Google Glass adventure has ended. What is probably the most famous and most controversial wearable device in the world will no longer be available to the public on January 19, the day Google closes the shutters on its Explorer program. From the beginning, Google Glass has had to fight on multiple fronts, but the truth is that the Glass itself was its own worst enemy. In the corridors of Mountain View, Glass was nothing more than a two-year experiment, and from now on, it will abandon its “X project” profile to become an initiative with its own identity. Outside Google's territory, Glass has been seen as a half-baked accessory with a poor ecosystem, a threat to privacy (with the famous term “glasshole” attached), and above all, an aesthetic horror. Rory Cellan-Jones of the BBC explained that despite the massive presence of wearable devices at CES 2015, he barely managed to find a single person using Glass other than himself. In other words: people have come to the conclusion that they don't want to use it.
A Logical Step
Taking all these details into account, the decision to end the current version of Google Glass seems reasonable. If the public has expressed its disenchantment, developer interest has sunk to the basement, and different companies (restaurants, bars, cinemas) prohibit its use left and right, the only logical path is to reshuffle and deal again. Ivy Ross will continue to lead the Glass project, but she will now report to Tony Fadell, the CEO of Nest. What is Nest? The idea behind Nest is to reinvent those home accessories that practically receive no attention from their users, such as thermostats and smoke detectors. Just over a year ago, Google paid a chilling 3.2 billion for Nest, basically to add Fadell to its ranks, one of the masterminds behind the iPod during his time at Apple.
What Comes Next
Google confirmed that a new edition of the device will be available “at some point this year”, although there is no additional precision on the matter. The current Glass will be sold to companies and developers, but the final version will see the light only when Ross and Fadell believe it is ready. The first thing Google must optimize is the hardware and battery, then eliminate what many call the “social stigma”. How will they achieve that? According to Ross herself, the plan is to create a variant of Glass much more integrated into conventional glasses.
As one might imagine, the big losers are those who invested $1,500 in the Explorer edition of Google Glass. Although there will be no restrictions on its use, it will not receive software updates either. In summary: Google Glass leaves the runways to return to the bunker. Its encounter with the public had applause and rotten tomatoes, and if it truly wants to reach the market, it needs to reinvent itself.
