Google Glass: I'm previewing the future, but you're talking about life and death

Google Glass, once a magical device worshipped by the whole world, has now been criticized by the technology media. Recently, Wired magazine said in a commentary that Google Glass is on the verge of failure and the only way to save it is to "kill it." Reuters reported that "many Google Glass developers are abandoning projects related to it." An article in Tencent Technology also said that "the coolest product has completely become an experiment."

Many media outlets have criticized Google Glass for having no future. The problems can be roughly summarized into three points: expensive, not easy to use, and involving privacy issues. Think about it, spending $1,500 on something that is not as useful as a $150 phone, and it is uncomfortable to keep your right eye on the upper right corner. Most importantly, it is not popular to wear. It is said that restaurants, bars, cinemas, hospitals and other places have banned the wearing of Google Glass. Some people have even been caught by the FBI for wearing it while watching movies, and have been fined for wearing it while driving. Such a product is indeed difficult to win the favor of consumers.

Recently, Google closed its physical stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and London. Although Google officially said that it was because Google had opened online orders in April this year and no longer needed physical stores, the media still believed that this move was a sign that Google was slowly leaving the market. Without the support of enough users, developers of Google Glass also gave up one after another. For example, Twitter announced that it would stop supporting Google Glass. What's more sad is that even Babak Parviz, the "father of Google Glass", jumped to Amazon.

So, is Google Glass, once the coolest product, really going to be killed as the media says?

I think it's not that bad. In fact, although it can be sold to consumers, the Google Glass on sale is still an experimental and advanced product. Any innovative product has gone through such a process in its early stages. When computers first appeared, they were so bulky and expensive. Who would have thought that everyone could own one? From the research and development process of Google Glass, it has been making rapid progress. From the initial prototype to the stunning debut in 2012, it has been a qualitative leap. The second-generation product released in October 2013 is already compatible with sunglasses and various vision correction glasses. The software level has also been continuously optimized and upgraded. This process is also called the "Google Glass Explorer" program, which means that Google is constantly trying to move various ideas to this device to see how it works.

Therefore, at this stage, it is meaningless to discuss price and function. When Google Glass reaches a new milestone and the industry chain is ready, the price will drop like an avalanche, just like many products you have experienced. The drop in price will bring consumers in. It is said that if the price of the product drops by half, the potential consumers will increase by 10 times. If the number of consumers increases, those developers who left will still come back.

As for the privacy issues that critics are worried about, it is not the place to sentence Google Glass to death. The privacy issues in the digital age are themselves problems that need to be solved in the real world. It is not just Google Glass. The world has been rapidly digitized. Every second, countless smartphones are taking photos and uploading them, and countless cameras are recording and uploading them. Everyone is likely to become a part of other people's photos. Google Glass is just pushed to the forefront. Therefore, it is not Google that needs to solve the privacy problem, but the whole world to think about how to face the problem of digitalization. I believe that just as humans have adapted to the arrival of the automobile age, the electrical age, and the information age, sooner or later we will be able to intelligently solve the various social problems brought about by the integration of the physical world and the digital world.

I am optimistic about Google Glass, not because of "the glasses", but because of the type of device it represents. Google Glass is essentially a device that connects the virtual world and the real world, projects the virtual world into the real world, and records the real world into the virtual world. This is vividly demonstrated in many science fiction movies. As a science fiction fan, I firmly believe that this type of product will definitely become popular, and this is an irreversible trend. Therefore, it is too early to discuss whether Google Glass will die.

Of course, Google's performance in hardware is not very good. Google is not like Apple. Everything Apple launches is a well-polished work of art. Its users only need to appreciate and use it. Apple's profits also come from such wonderful hardware. Google's core interests are still at the software and operating system level. The hardware it launches is a concept product. It is launched only to prove that it is feasible and to lead a brand new market. Without its huge investment, no manufacturer dares to get involved rashly. So I think the closure is only temporary. In the end, it will be open to many manufacturers who are better at making hardware. Returning to the operating system is in its interest.

Finally, I would like to quote a comment from a netizen: People always cannot accept advanced technology. Gold will shine sooner or later, but no one can control you today, so people are afraid of you, not because you are not good enough, but because you are too good.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.