Google Discontinues Enterprise Edition of Google Glass Amid Cost Cuts

Google has announced that it will no longer sell the latest Enterprise Edition of Google Glass, effectively discontinuing the smartglasses line. The first edition of Google Glass was unveiled in 2013, marketed towards a general audience as a way to access a computer on the user’s face instead of using a phone. However, the product failed to gain traction due to its high price tag, clunky design, and privacy concerns, leading to its discontinuation in 2015. Google shifted its focus to enterprise and released the Enterprise Edition of Glass in 2017, aimed at industries such as manufacturing and logistics. The Enterprise Edition 2, launched in 2019, was Google’s last attempt at saving the product, but it failed to catch on despite its $999 price tag.

Google thanked its users for “over a decade of innovation and partnership” on its FAQ page announcing the decision.  This decision comes amid cost cuts across the company, with many of its peers announcing plans to lay off employees in response to recession fears and shifting pandemic demand for digital products.

Despite the discontinuation of Google Glass, the dream of smartglasses still lives on, with Snapchat’s parent company selling Spectacles and Apple reportedly working on augmented reality glasses. In a blog post last summer, Google stated that it was continuing to test other AR glasses, highlighting the potential of augmented reality to offer new ways of interacting with the world around us.