NEW YORK: The next version of Google Glass to be launched will look nothing like its predecessor, after sources close to the new head of the project claim he wants to ‘redesign it from scratch’.
Google confirmed it was removing Google Glass from sale and discontinuing its Explorer programme last month, but insisted the project was not being abandoned altogether.
Tony Fadell, founder and chief executive of smart thermostat maker Nest Labs, which was acquired by Google a year ago was placed in charge of the Glass team, and has big plans to redesign the headset.
Mr Fadell, a former Apple product executive, plans to overhaul the device and will not release it until it is entirely finished. Despite going on sale in the UK last year priced at £1,000, the Glass headset was officially a prototype product.
“There will be no public experimentation,” one adviser to Mr. Fadell told the newspaper. “Tony is a product guy and he’s not going to release something until its perfect.”
It was previously reported that Intel will provide the chip for the next version of Glass, replacing the deal the company had with Texas Instruments.
The headset was criticised by the fashion industry for its clunky design, which some attributed to the headset’s need to appear conspicuous to offset fears surrounding covert filming or surveillance.
Glass found it hard to shake off its geeky image, especially due to the prism-like display that juts out from the frame and sits in front of the lens on any pair of glasses and bulky battery pack, despite several high-profile collaborations with brands including Luxottica, the company behind Ray-Ban and Oakley, and Diane von Furtstenburg.
The headset was made from a single piece of titanium, meaning it could not be folded like a normal pair of glasses, and it was plagued by reports that focusing on screen so close to the wearer’s eye caused headaches and disorientation.
