Google Glass is a mysterious piece of equipment, as it hasn’t yet become a common gadget to own and use. Truly, any person wearing Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Glass would get stares from bystanders and people all around because this equipment is not only expensive but also considered unnecessary by most.
However, sales figures for the Glass were increasing, as more and more people were incorporating Glass into their daily lives. But then, Google Inc., only recently, decided to stop selling Google Glass. Why?
The answer to this question has been provided by Google Inc. itself. According to the Android OS developing company, even though the gadget marks the beacon of innovation being carried out at Google Inc., it was time to move forward, to explore new directions the company could take the Glass in. Hence, the internet giant said it could no longer sell Glass, at least not in the form that it currently embodies, as now is the time to focus on “future versions of Glass”.
Google Glass is not an easy piece of equipment to obtain. Google Inc. launched Glass back in 2013 in the US (2014 in UK) for developers and those who wished to try the device out in return for providing valuable feedback to Google. The device was not given out for free, of course, and all those who wished to obtain the device not only had to be selected by Google through a random draw, but also had to pay $1500 for the gadget if selected. The whole program was titled Glass Explorer. Now, however, Google Inc. has announced that the same program it had launched back in 2013 would cease to exist soon. New orders for Google Glass will not be taken after January 19th.
When Glass first came out, it was termed by industry analysts as a pioneer in wearable technology, as Glass aimed to incorporate the most loved functions of smartphones into a technological piece of equipment that would make it easier to take pictures, record videos and even video conference in circumstances when a phone cannot be used.
Google co-founder, Sergey Brin, could not stay away from the gadget, and has almost always been seen in public wearing Google Glass (mainly because, according to reports, he is the one who conceived the idea for Google Glass). Even though Google would stop taking orders for Glass, Brin has assured all those already in possession of the Glass that support by the company would still be provided, especially to companies that have incorporated Glass in their everyday functions.
One such company is Tesco, which is a major retailer in the UK. The company, only days before, had launched an app for Google Glass, which allowed the wearers to go through the shelves in the retail outlets and to purchase the items on the shelves without lifting a finger. By just giving commands to Google Glass, users could shop items hands-free.
However, Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) might have made a very prudent decision. According to a survey conducted by Reuters, which asked 16 developers of Glass applications how they found working for it, 9 said they had stopped working on the apps that they were working on due to limitations posed by the device itself.