It’s been nearly two years since Google launched its first Glass Enterprise Edition, something the company called “a new chapter” for the device. Originally introduced in its Explorer Edition in 2013 targeting early adopters and developers, it now appears the second gen Enterprise Edition Glass could be well on its way to the final stages of production.
Update (March 6th, 2019): Google Glass 2 passed FCC testing late last year, although now the emergence of supposedly leaked images could mark a nearby launch for the enterprise-focused smartglasses. Images obtained by Brazilian publication Tecnoblog show the glasses add-on sporting a new USB Type-C connector which replaces the previous version’s pin-style magnetic connector, and labeling that’s consistent with the previously revealed FCC markings.
According to a Geekbench benchmark, the new version contains a Snapdragon 710, an integrated LTE modem, and support for Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It also supposedly contains 3GB of RAM, Android Oreo OS, and a 32MP camera which is capable of 4K video at 30FPS, or 1080p video at 120FPS.
We’ve included those images below the update. The original article announcing the device’s FCC testing follows below:
Original Article (November 15th, 2018): As first reported by 9to5Google, the company is heading back to the enterprise market with another business-focused Google Glass, the heads up display (HUD) device that snaps onto a pair of glasses, providing real-time information to the user in a small transparent window.
Dubbed ‘Glass Enterprise Edition 2’, the FCC listing doesn’t reveal much outside of a single sketch. FCC certifications almost never list components or specs, but there are a few things to notice draw from the device label sketch. Like the previous iteration, the new Glass features a button-and-hinge mechanism so the device can fold and a similar power button configuration.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, 9to5Google reports that the new Glass is however “mostly just spec bumps for performance, battery life, and other core functions.”
The first Google Glass Enterprise Edition included a well-deserved spec overhaul since the 2013 Explorer Edition, featuring an Intel Atom CPU, 32GB of storage, and a 780 mAh battery.
Google Glass Explorer version two, a hardware refresh from 2014, added 2GB of RAM to version one, which featured a Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 SoC, 16GB of storage, and 570 mAh battery.
Considering that Glass was widely decried for looking weird (neologism “glasshole” withstanding), the company may never market it again to consumers in its current form. And while Google doesn’t appear to be diving back into the consumer market with it latest Glass, a continued interest in purely functional usecases for the HUD could translate to greater insights as the company inevitably marches towards more immersive tech such as a hypothetical Google-developed AR headset.