Google Glass is to make a return to the market with a focus on business use cases.
The original version of the product failed to win over consumers but Google is hoping that the Glass Enterprise Edition will be a success.
Google says that the new version will both be more comfortable and have a longer battery life, although the design is similar to that of the original.
Many had thought the project to be dead in the water after poor sales of the original product and the resignation of Tony Fadell, who had led the project. However, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and its X division continued working on it.
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Project Lead, Jay Kothari, wrote: “Workers in many fields, like manufacturing, logistics, field services, and healthcare find it useful to consult a wearable device for information and other resources while their hands are busy.
“That’s why we’ve spent the last two years working closely with a network of more than 30 expert partners to build customised software and business solutions for Glass for people in these fields.”
Google’s already got some people testing it out in secret at companies such as DHL, General Electric, and Dignity Health.
Improvements that have been made to the device are said to include: a more powerful processor, an eight megapixel camera, an eight hour battery life, better wi-fi connectivity, and the camera button can now also be used as a way to detach the electronics from the frame, so that it can then be attached to normal glasses or safety glasses.
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Since Google left the market two years ago, the likes of Microsoft have emerged as strong contenders for the AR/VR market crown with its HoloLens offering, which means that Google will have a fair bit of ground to make up if it’s going to have any real success.