Google Glass isn’t going away. The controversial augmented reality eyewear might not have even properly gone on sale yet, but a new iteration is already in the works—and it could look like this.
Google/United States Patent and Trademark Office
In a newly approved Glass patent, the design slims down the arm of the device, which currently extends bulkily behind one ear and contains the processor and battery. Battery life remains the biggest woe for Glass and other wearables like full-color smartwatches, which struggle to make it through a single day without charging up. The new illustration also depicts some sort of textured area where Glass wearers tap and swipe to navigate through the UI.
A recent report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that Google will partner with Intel for the next evolution of Google Glass, which has now been pushed back to next year—likely because it’s undergoing a redesign. When we reached out to Google about the fate of Glass, the company was adamant that Glass is actually gearing up rather than winding down. “Glass is not dead,” a Glass spokesperson told the Daily Dot. “There’s been a lot of momentum for us.”
The next version of Glass is likely to run on Intel rather than Texas Instruments hardware, with a release date in 2015. According the Wall Street Journal‘s sources, “Intel plans to promote Glass to companies such as hospital networks and manufacturers, while developing new workplace uses for the device.”
Google made a number of key hires earlier this year to bolster its Glass team with fashion industry expertise. Those include Ivy Ross, formerly of Swatch and Coach, as well as leadership from Urban Outfitters and other names in the retail world.
The Glass team continues to build out partnerships with industry giant Luxxotica, the eyewear company behind Ray-Bans and almost every other popular line of eyeglasses, as well as industrial partners like Boeing and Augmedix, a software company working on Google Glass for electronic health records (EHR).
H/T Quartz | Image via Google