Google Glass is back, and it's headed to the enterprise
Google Glass failed to pick up momentum as a consumer product, but the wearable is getting a new lease on life in the enterprise segment. Alphabet's X, which oversees the development of Glass, has announced that after two years in a limited trial program, the Glass Enterprise Edition is being rolled out to more businesses.
Glass Enterprise Edition first broke cover back in 2015 in an FCC leak, and the new version has several upgrades over the consumer variant. Alphabet made several improvements to the design and internal hardware, introducing a lightweight model that's more comfortable to wear for a prolonged duration.
Alphabet worked with over "30 expert partners" to tweak the overall design of Glass, with the likes of AGCO, GE, Boeing, DHL, and Volkswagen using the wearable. Glass Enterprise Edition also features a larger display, bigger battery, a faster Atom processor, and a higher-resolution 8MP camera. The hardware itself is detachable, allowing workers to reattach Glass to safety goggles.
Using Glass Enterprise Edition led to a 25% decrease in machinery production time for agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO:
Alphabet noted that DHL was able to increase its supply chain efficiency by 15% after turning to Glass, with the wearable also allowing doctors at Dignity Health to double their interaction time with patients. Alphabet is making Glass Enterprise Edition available to more businesses through its partners, and while it's great to see the wearable find its groove in the enterprise, it's unlikely we'll see a consumer-facing variant anytime soon.
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Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor of Asia. In his current role, he oversees the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the global semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.