It all started back in 2012, when Google revealed their Project Glass with a video showing what the life of a Google Glass wearer could look like. However, the project didn’t achieve the massive success the company desired. Six months after the release of Google Glass, there were numerous reports of breakdowns and breakages.
These failures led to people’s assumption that Google Glass is deserted. Surprisingly, in 2015 Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt appeared in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, where he confirmed that the company is still working on the project, trying to perfect it.
But let’s come back to the present in 2019. Even though, it has been a while, since Google released a new version of Google Glass, we are trilled to present you Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2. The new model is an improved followup with an enhanced camera, faster processor, and new Smith Optics frames with the price tag of $999.
Hardware improvements
The new Google Glass Enterprise comes with tons of new upgrades. To begin with, the glasses now have Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 chip processor. The chip has a 1.7GHz clock speed with four cores. This improvement offers significantly more processing power, greater energy efficiency, and a new artificial intelligence engine.
What’s more Google Glass’s camera is now 8MP in still resolution in comparison with the previous 5MP. It also has 720p video support and still allows first person video streaming and collaboration. However, Google doesn’t mention anything about improvements of the device’s display. Previous versions featured a 640 by 360 pixel screen inside a clear, prism-shaped box in front of one eye. As it seems, this is still the case with the new Google Glass Enterprise. The new model also features both Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 5 support. In addition the battery life span of up to 8 hours between recharges with an 820mAh cell. The company even added an extra USB-C port that allows faster charging.
For that version of the glass, Google has partnered up with Smith Optics for the creation of safety frames for different types of working environments. On top of that, the new model has almost all of its hardware inside the right stem, with irregular bumps on that side. In addition the front uses hip, thick plastic lens frames instead of a rimless design.
Software improvements
When it comes to the software, Glass Enterprise Edition 2 operates with Android which makes it easier to develop for. The device is currently using Android 8.1 Oreo but an update to Android Pie and Q can be expected soon. In addition, the device can leverage existing APIs and Android Enterprise Mobile Device Management for scaled deployments.
We cannot wait to get our hands on the new Glass 2 here at Wiredelta®, and hopefully soon enough start building Android apps for Glass 2. For those of you who feel a little nostalgic when you see read above, we bring to you the good old launch video of Google Glass!