After a run that lasted for a decade, the top has come for Google Glass, with the announcement this week that the tech behemoth will discontinue the enterprise model of the augmented actuality (AR) glasses.

Gross sales of Google Glass Enterprise have been halted as of Wednesday, although assist will proceed for one more six months, in keeping with an organization announcement.

“After September 15, 2023, you’ll proceed to have the ability to use the Glass Enterprise Version system and current software program. No software program updates from Google are deliberate,” Google stated in a FAQ.

The corporate stated that damaged units might be changed by way of the present course of — via which customers contact their distributors or resellers to submit a alternative request —till September 15.

Google famous that third events are chargeable for sustaining their apps, and that no additional software program updates from Google are deliberate. System pictures, nevertheless, will stay out there on the system pictures web page, till a minimum of April 1, 2024.

Google Glass by no means gained traction amongst customers

Regardless of producing loads of curiosity and publicity, Glass — the primary, client model of which was introduced in 2012 — confronted difficulties in gaining widespread acceptance, partly attributable to a design that made it appear like a gadget quite than a vogue accent. Moreover, the system’s potential to take pictures and seize movies with out others understanding about it contributed to its lack of recognition.

Google Glass was largely discontinued for non-enterprise customers in 2015, after which the corporate shifted its consideration in direction of exploring the potential of the headset for companies and builders.

The primary version of Google Glass Enterprise, launched in 2017, helped a “number of industries — from logistics, to manufacturing, to subject companies — do their jobs extra effectively by offering hands-free entry to the knowledge and instruments they should full their work,” Google claimed. “Staff can use Glass to entry checklists, view directions or ship inspection pictures or movies.”

Google Glass Enterprise Version 2, launched in 2019, would assist “companies additional enhance the effectivity of their staff,” Google stated.

Amongst different points, nevertheless, the worth at all times appeared excessive for the system. Whereas the unique Explorer Version, which value $1,500, was an enormous price ticket  for a product that, as Google ultimately conceded, was primarily a prototype, the Enterprise Version 2 didn’t get less expensive ($999) and didn’t supply a lot over the unique model.

Tech firms proceed to develop AR, VR units

Massive tech firms are nonetheless pursuing the idea of head-mounted visualization applied sciences, variously referred to as sensible glasses, augmented actuality glasses, digital actuality glasses, and even mixed-reality shows. Whereas there’s disagreement about the way to label any specific system, business observers generally say that whereas VR presents a very digital atmosphere, AR overlays digital info on the true, bodily world.

 Meta, for eample, has launched Ray-Ban sensible glasses, with cameras however no shows. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has talked a couple of product line that resembles Google Glass, and by rechristening the corporate Meta in 2021, confirmed he was betting massive on digital actuality, and the gear that the know-how requires.

Apple is getting ready a VR headset that has the power to make use of outward-facing cameras to indicate the exterior atmosphere, much like a clear lens.

Microsoft has HoloLens, its personal augmented actuality glasses for enterprise. (The corporate, nevertheless, lately laid off a section of the group engaged on it.)

Though Google has discontinued Glass, it doesn’t indicate that the corporate has deserted its pursuit of augmented actuality. Whereas some commentators argue that Google Glass shouldn’t be thought of true AR because it displayed solely primary info, in June final 12 months, Google previewed a special kind of sensible glasses, able to real-time speech translation and transcription, and stated it might proceed to check prototypes of augmented actuality glasses in public.