Skip to main content

The third generation of Google Glass may be nearly ready for release

It looks like Google hasn’t given up on Google Glass just yet. According to a new report from DigiTimes suggests that the third generation of Glass has finished the development stage and is now in pilot production.

The report notes that the 3rd-gen Glass is as light as ever, weighing as little as a pair of regular glasses. There’s a catch though — the battery life will reportedly suffer as a result of the light build. In fact, battery life is so low that users may only get 30 minutes of use in between charges.

Recommended Videos

The shift of attention away from battery life is a pretty big change. The first generation of Google Glass had a 780mAh battery, while the second generation stepped things up to 820mAh battery. Both of these devices offered at least a few hours of normal use.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

It’s currently unclear exactly who Google is targeting with the 3rd-gen Glass. After the initial launch of Google Glass, Google began targeting enterprise and business users. It’s possible that given the weight, Google wants to bring Glass once again into consumer consciousness, but given the battery life — or lack thereof — we think it’s more likely that Glass will remain squarely focused at certain industries.

There are other details we don’t know just yet, too. For example, it’s not known how much the new version of Google Glass will cost, however previous versions have come in at around $1,000. Other details about the specs of the device also have yet to be revealed, such as the processor, amount of RAM, and resolution of the display.

An official release date for the device currently isn’t known, but it could be a while, given the fact that Google announced and upgraded the Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 at the end of May.

The 3rd-gen Google Glass is being built by Pegatron Corporation and Quantra Computer — which is a slight shift, given the fact that previously Quantra was the sole supplier of Glass.

Google isn’t the only company working on augmented reality glasses. Apple is reportedly working on AR glasses of its own, through recent reports suggest that Apple is taking a break in the development of the new device.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Google Photos is getting a cool new feature to speed up your photo edits
Google Photos' year in review feature for 2024.

Google Photos for Android is introducing a new feature that simplifies photo editing right before sharing. A tipster from Android Authority first reported this tool.

The new “Quick Edit” tool lets users easily enhance or crop individual photos before sharing them. It features an “Enhance” button, which functions similarly to the “Enhance” effect in the standard photo-editing options. A crop button is also similar to the one in the regular photo editor. When multiple photos are selected before hitting the share button, the typical share sheet appears instead of the new “Quick Edit” screen.

Read more
Android 16 adds a new way to use the Google Pixel 9’s fingerprint sensor
Pixel 9 Pro in Rose Quartz.

Biometric security — the ability to unlock your phone with your fingerprint or face — is an amazing feature, but you often have to turn on the phone's screen before you can use it. That's because many fingerprint sensors are optical and need light in order to work. Fortunately, Android 16 will make it so that you can open your Pixel 9 without turning your phone screen on at all (while also avoiding the groan that comes from searing your eyes.)

The feature was noted in the Android 16 Developer Preview 2, or DP2, by 9to5Google. The findings imply that this only applies to the Google Pixel 9 series because while it does appear in the Settings search on the Pixel 8 Pro, there's no option to enable it. This is likely due to the Pixel 9's ultrasonic fingerprint scanner; the improved hardware doesn't require light to use it.

Read more
I’m really worried about the future of smart glasses
The front of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are among the most interesting, unexpectedly fun, and surprisingly useful wearables I’ve used in 2024. However, as we go into 2025, I’m getting worried about the smart glasses situation.

This isn’t the first time I’ve felt like we’re on the cusp of a new wave of cool smart eyewear products, only to be very disappointed by what came next.
Why the Ray-Ban Meta are so good

Read more