Google Glass is dead. In its current form, at least, the augmented-reality specs will no longer be sold to developers, early adopters and enthusiasts — and depending on how stupid you think Google Glass is, this news will either disappoint you or make you very happy.
According to a report from the BBC, Google “is still committed to launching the smart glasses as a consumer product”, but won’t keep making Glass in its current format and will not make it to a widely-available consumer iteration.
Glass will continue development within Google, but the team responsible for its eventual consumer-format creation will move out of the black-ops Google X division and into a different area run by ex-Nest CEO Tony Fadell, one of the brains behind the smart thermostat. There’s no timeframe currently set for a future Google Glass to be released, though, so it may never end up seeing the light of day in anything close to its current iteration.
Orders for Google Glass’ current enthusiast US$1500 Explorer Edition will close as of next week, but Google will continue to provide support for the products it has already sold and to the companies that have adopted it. [BBC]