On Monday, the 20th, Google announced a new version of Google Glass, the augmented reality glasses for corporate use, which is now classified as an official product of the company instead of an experiment. Called the Glass Enterprise Edition 2, the device looks a lot more like glasses and has a new processor from Qualm, an improved camera, a USB-C port for faster charging, and a bunch of other upgrades.
Although Glass is not a flagship Google product, the company appears to have high sales expectations for the new device. That's because it no longer belongs to Alphabet's X Division and has returned to the company's product family, says the unicado. According to the glasses project manager, Jay Kothari, the change was made to better meet the growing demand for the use of wearables (in literal translation, wearable and intelligent accessories) in the workplace.
Simple on the device, we only see the basic design lenses and frame similar to prescription eyeglasses. The device's software, on the other hand, has gained a notable improvement: Qualm's Snapdragon XR1 processor is equipped, designed for augmented reality (RA) and virtual. The chip allows you to achieve high performance and low power consumption, which increases the battery life of the glasses. The new processor also allows for better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Google says that, powered by the XR1, the new glasses can incorporate "putational vision and advanced machine learning capabilities". The company has already launched an image and text recognition application called Lens for its smartphones, which offers features like sign translation and restaurant rewrites. It was unclear which features of the new Glass are also found in Lens. In addition to a larger battery and other updated components, the new version can run Android, support for Mobile Device Management by Android Enterprise.
Initially designed to be sold to the general public, Glass is now aimed at the corporate market, after consumer complaints about the privacy and functionality of the glasses. According to Google, companies have reported "faster production times, better quality and reduced costs" after adopting the device, which is often used to facilitate troubleshooting and access to putation processes.
Enterprise Edition 2 will retail for $999 USD and continues to focus on enterprise customers. The value, although high, is more accessible than the predecessor, which hit the markets costing US$ 1.500. Google has not announced a projected release date for the product.
Several other companies are also working on AR glasses for corporate use, including Microsoft, which is developing its HoloLens. Meanwhile, the device for the broad consumer has not yet been very successful to consolidate a great technological interest. Taking Glass out of The X Division is a vote of confidence by Google in the device's selling power, but for now, there are no signs that the wearable is reaching a wider audience.
