Google looked like they were on to something big when they released Google Glass in 2013. The device was designed to give consumers instantaneous access to taking pictures, receiving messages, searching the web, and more.
In reality, the product was underdeveloped and overpriced. The glasses did not do anything particularly well. They became perceived as an unattractive and unnecessary accessory worn exclusively by tech geeks.
The glasses stirred up privacy concerns for not only the wearer, but also the people on the other side, who felt they were under constant surveillance. This led to the glasses being associated with a general sense of unease as people within their vicinity felt they were constantly being watched.
The disheveled launch of Google Glass was another contributor to its failure. The product had no official launch date and seemed like a prototype from the very beginning. The promotion of Glass was surprisingly weak for such a big company. Google spent very little on marketing the product and did not accurately portray its benefits to the market.
Google Glass was never able to pick up much momentum after its weak launch, poor marketing, and lack of functionality. The product had the potential to change the tech landscape, but it clearly was not ready for the mass market.
Glass failed to deliver any sort of legitimate value proposition to consumers. It was certainly not worth the $1,500 price tag since it was clearly not a finished product.
Apple’s Turn
Apple has announced the glasses will serve as an iPhone accessory. This gives consumers an immediate reason to purchase since it will complement a product already owned by hundreds of millions of consumers. This is a tremendous play by Apple and should accelerate the product life cycle.
Apple’s smart glasses will be equipped with the highly anticipated feature of AR (augmented reality). AR will serve as a major selling point for the product as this new technology has been amassing high interest in the tech world. Apple has been pursuing the AR space for a while, and now is poised to dominate the market with the upcoming release of their smart glasses. They also have a wave of new augmented reality apps and features they have been developing. Apple website details their vision for AR, “Imagine if the line between the virtual and the real simply didn’t exist.”
The glasses are reported to have a revamped maps system with better pedestrian data and virtual arrows guiding you towards your destination. The glasses will run on a “reality-based” operating system and will have advanced eye-tracking sensors to improve the screen display quality.
The Bottom Line
Apple’s smart glasses appear to be a more polished, functional, and innovative version of what Google rolled out in 2013. Their team of skilled engineers has been developing this product for years now and has churned out some incredible features. Apple has a history of successful product launches and looks to do the same with their smart glasses.
Apple knows they cannot rely on iPhone sales forever, because eventually, something will overtake it. Apple has thrived on building technology to replace its own before the competition does. These smart glasses are poised to be their next breakthrough in innovation and technology transparency.
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