Google Glass has several issues. They’re expensive, the battery life is horrible, and until yesterday, they weren’t compatible with glasses. That last issue is now a moot point. Google released four new frames, each priced at $225, each made out of titanium, that are compatible with Google Glass. Google didn’t partner with an existing glasses maker, instead they decided to make their own. No amount of text will help you better understand what these new glasses look like, so enjoy this two and a half minute video from The Verge.
Circling back to the other issues I mentioned, price and battery life, when will those be fixed? Price is something that time takes care of thanks to the ridiculous pace of technological advancement. Assuming Google Glass becomes a commercial product this year, I’ll be shocked if they end up costing more than $699. That’s still a big number, but again, it will come down over the coming years. By the end of the decade, Glass could end up being a $199 accessory you can buy from any shopping mall. As for battery, again, it’s a technology issue. The chips that power Google Glass are basically the innards of a smartphone from 2012. That’s both a good and a bad thing. With 20 nanometer TSMC chips coming out this year and 16 nanometer chips coming out next year, combined with advances such as silicon anode batteries, you’ll see battery life reach an acceptable point in the next 12 to 24 months. I can’t stress this enough, Glass is just an experiment, and it might even fail, but credit where credit is due, only Google is crazy enough to try something like this out.
