)—Linking the Frontiers of Technology, Serving Business InnovationGoogle Glass—this product from Google’s most secretive division, X Lab—ultimately failed to disrupt the consumer AR market. First unveiled in 2012, with a developer edition released in 2013 and an exploration of public sales in 2014, the project appeared to be progressing smoothly. However, the momentum was short-lived, and the initiative was halted in early 2015.
Even so, Google has publicly stated that the Google Glass project has been spun off from X Lab into a separate department and that development of related technologies will continue, given the critical importance of this technology.
Subsequently, Google Glass for enterprise was launched in 2017 and 2019, targeting vertical application markets. However, various signs indicate that Google’s consumer-grade AR dream persists.
Acquisition of North Details
Just today, Rick Osterloh, Google’s Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, announced on the official blog that Google has officially acquired North.
In a brief announcement, it stated: From PC-based search to mobile map services, and further to Nest smart home products, Google has been assisting people in their daily lives. Google’s aim is to build a robust and practical suite of devices and services. As we move into an era of ubiquity, all your devices will work for you simultaneously—a concept we call “ambient computing.”
In a blog post by North’s three co-founders, it was mentioned that North was founded in 2012, initially focusing on the development of wristband input devices based on electromyographic (EMG) signals, before shifting its focus to Focals AR glasses. Following this acquisition, North, originally based in Kitchener, Canada, will directly join Google’s team in Kitchener.
North Focals 1st Generation
And it announced an important piece of information: the Focals app and services will be shut down in the future, and the previously announced Focals 2, which was scheduled to launch earlier this year, will ultimately never be released.
Another noteworthy point is that North stated: access to the Focals app and services will no longer be available after July 31 this year,The client will also be unable to download, meaning that the built-in features of these smart glasses will essentially become unusable.。
Obviously, this is a puzzling move? An acquisition is an acquisition, but such self-sabotaging behavior is difficult to explain using normal business logic. Some netizens speculate that this is Google’s way of fully transferring technologies and patents to its own products, though specific details have not yet been disclosed; perhaps the product itself did not sell well, leading to such a maneuver.
North Focals 2
North’s own operations have also encountered significant obstacles. Some netizens joked, “Haha, I believe Focals 2 was always just fake news; although no prototype was ever unveiled, it still managed to get acquired by Google.”
In fact, North has also issued an official announcement: it will target all users on June 30Full refunds will be issued to customers who previously purchased Focals.
Opinions on this move are highly divided. Some netizens stated that North is a company with great potential, and its acquisition is a pity; others were skeptical about Google’s motives for the acquisition: “Google has already largely dismantled its original AR hardware-related departments, so I don’t know why it chose to acquire North to re-enter the market. I believe Google is only interested in North’s patents.”
Some are optimistic about this acquisition: it is time for Google to release consumer-grade AR glasses again, with a more affordable price tag; this may be the best way to compete with Apple's AR glasses.
As for Google’s subsequent developments in AR hardware, Qingting Network will continue to monitor the situation.
North’s Bumpy Journey
Focals Gen 1 adopts an LBS + holographic reflective film solution, a lightweight AR display approach aimed at creating all-day wearable AR glasses. This concept is clearly very similar to that of Google Glass, representing the future development trajectory for a category of AR eyewear.
- In September 2018, the first generation of Focals was officially unveiled, garnering significant attention for its compact form factor and design that closely resembles conventional eyeglasses;
- In October 2018, the first-generation Focals officially launched its pre-sale at a price of $999;
- In November 2018, the first generation of Focals was officially released for purchase, available exclusively through offline stores (only two at the time) due to the need for customization based on vision and head shape measurements;
- In December 2018, North acquired most of Intel Vaunt's patents;
- In February 2019, North opened a pop-up store and offered promotions at a price of $599;
- In February 2019, North announced layoffs of 150 employees;
- In December 2019, North announced the official discontinuation of Focals Gen 1 and unveiled Focals Gen 2, with a planned release in early 2020;
- In January 2020, foreign media outlet CNET was invited by North to experience the Focals 2nd-generation engineering prototype;
- In July 2020, Google officially acquired North; Focals 2 never made it to market, and service for the first-generation Focals was discontinued, rendering the device unusable.
Various signs indicate that Focals Gen 1 began offering a 40% discount just two months after its launch, suggesting that actual sales may have been disappointing, while the company also faces a crisis of layoffs.
In fact, besides North, there are other products adopting similar solutions, such as the Intel Vaunt prototype, which was the earliest to be unveiled but never released, and the Bosch Light Drive prototype, which made its debut this year.
Intel Vaunt
However, due to a series of reasons, Intel announced in April 2018 that it was abandoning the Vaunt project, which essentially signaled its exit from the AR glasses market. In fact, Intel had conducted extensive research in both AR and VR. The AR glasses brand Recon, acquired by Intel in 2015, underwent significant layoffs in 2017. In the same year, Intel’s VR initiative, Project Alloy, was also discontinued. Nevertheless, Intel has continued its R&D efforts in VR and AR, albeit with shifted application scenarios and strategies.
The Evolution of Google's AR Glasses Roadmap
As is well known, Google’s products adhere to a philosophy of “simplifying the complex.” Following its release, Google Glass dominated media coverage for an extended period and was highly sought after by many geeks.
- In March 2013, Google Glass Explorer Edition units were distributed to 8,000 users at a price of $1,500;
- In May 2014, the Google Glass Beta purchase program was launched, opening up purchasing access to more people;
- In January 2015, Google officially ceased sales of the Google Glass Explorer Edition, while stating that it had not abandoned its augmented reality (AR) initiatives.
- In July 2017, Google relaunched the enterprise edition of Google Glass;
- In May 2019, Google released the enterprise edition of Google Glass 2.
To date, Google Glass remains a niche product. In a blog post today, Google stated that it is building a new ecosystem for “ambient computing,” and AR glasses will help advance this initiative.
Moreover, the blog post mentions that “all devices” around you will remain in seamless coordination, reflecting Google’s ecosystem strategy in the consumer hardware market. Although there is still a certain gap in the collaborative experience between Android devices and Apple’s iOS devices, this has become Google’s goal.
Previously, Google also acquired the wearable device company Fitbit, and we will continue to closely monitor Google’s final moves.