It seems like a pair of augmented reality spectacles won't be hiding under any Christmas trees this year as sources tell ComputerWorld that the Google Glass won't be ready for launch until sometime in 2014.
According to unnamed sources from Google, at its I/O conference in May and another source "close to the company" said the Glass won't be available in 2013, contrary to some projections that put the device out much earlier. More recently, the tech site received an e-mail from a source at Google, which referenced the product's release date in 2014.
When asked about the change, a Google spokesman said, "We're always adjusting and readjusting timelines. The most important thing that we do is focus on building a great product for users whenever that might be launched."
Google Glass has already shipped out to thousands of tester consumers and has made a name for itself in the tech industry as the future of wearable technology. This has prompted companies like Apple and Samsung to get the ball rolling on wearable technology in the form of smartwatches.
"I'm pleased that Google has the discipline to hold Glass back until they think it's perfect," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, via ComputerWorld. "Typically, Google will throw products out before they're ready, like the Nexus Q. Glass is a new category of devices and it's important that it works well. [If not], it could stunt the growth of these kinds of devices."
With so much anticipation and hype surrounding the revolutionary new product form Google, it makes sense for the company to hold off until it feels it's worthy of a launch with the Google name attached to it, even if that means missing out on the huge sales that could be expected from a pre-holiday season launch.
