Google has reportedly halted production of its smartglass prototype, signalling an end to the Explorer programme which enabled software developers to buy Glass for $1,500.
The tech major will also reportedly restructure the team responsible for the project, shifting the team into a a separate unit headed by current manager Ivy Ross.
Google has also appointed Tony Fadell, the ex-Apple designer Google acquired with the smart thermostat firm Nest, to look after the future of the smart-glass.
Reiterating its commitment to launch the smart glasses as a consumer product, Google will now target ‘future versions of Glass’ with work executed by a different unit.
The tech firm will stop taking orders for the product from next week, while it will continue to offer support to companies deploying Glass.
The latest move comes in the wake of a troubled assessment period during which the device had been criticised over threats to privacy, with several early adopters in the tech world quitting to wear the product.
The Android powered, internet-connected device, similar to a smartphone, operates through voice commands and is capable of capturing pictures and recording video, in addition to sharing content directly via email or social networks.
The device also features Skype-like video chats as well as other related information such as weather reports and map directions, which would be displayed on a screen attached to the rim in the top right of the users’ field of vision.
Google also planned a makeover of the gadget with a thinner design, along with a crystal that will project the results the wearer seeks, in addition to replacing a Texas Instrument chip with a faster Intel chip and a change in camera position.
