Google has announced that it will no longer sell its Glass Enterprise Edition 2, with support set to end later this year. The company initially launched Google Glass as a consumer product in 2013, but it failed to gain traction.
In response, the company repositioned the augmented reality (AR) product as a solution for businesses and industrial customers. Dubbed the Glass Enterprise Edition, the lineup received a second-generation update in 2019, built on the Snapdragon XR1 hardware platform.
Google Discontinues Sales and Support of Google Glass Enterprise Edition
As of March 15, sales of the Google Glass Enterprise Edition have been discontinued, according to an update on the Google Glass website. While the tech giant will continue to support existing customers until September 15, 2023, no software updates are planned. This means customers will only be able to receive replacement devices until that deadline.
Third-party developers can still update their applications responsible for business-specific tasks, and existing headsets will continue to work as normal. However, the “Meet on Glass” app may break after September 15, as it is only guaranteed to work until that date.
Google Focuses on AR Headsets
The Google Glass line-up has been discontinued at an interesting time, as the platform was recently given an early access program for testing deeper integration with Google’s Pixel phones through a new companion app. This preview included integration with popular Google apps and services, such as Google Tasks, Google Translate, and Google Camera.
However, Google has been focusing on Android-powered AR headsets, with reports indicating that they are working on smart ring controls similar to those seen on Focals by North (a company that Google acquired). Last year at their I/O conference, the company even showcased an in-progress live transcription and translation feature on AR smart glasses.
Announcing the discontinuation, Google said:
Thank you for over a decade of innovation and partnership. As of March 15, 2023, we will no longer sell Glass Enterprise Edition. We will continue supporting Glass Enterprise Edition until September 15, 2023.