Glass, the technology behind the smartphone and wearable devices that Google is selling, is getting an upgrade from a glass that was already popular.
Glass, which is being sold by the glass maker LG, is being touted as the first product that can help make glasses as functional as smartphones, which can also be used to make glasses for personal consumption.
Glass is a smart glasses solution that integrates with smartphones and tablet computers, but is also capable of being used to display digital images on a display, a feature known as the “glass view”.
Users have said that the glasses they have bought over the years have suffered from a lack of functionality and usability because of the limitations of the technology.
But LG, which also makes a range of smart glasses products, has now said that it is planning to introduce Glass as an alternative to smartphones in 2017.
According to LG’s announcement in China, Glass will be available in two flavours, a high-performance version that offers a more powerful camera and a cheaper version that will be priced at $50.LG said that its glass-free smartphone and tablet device, called GlassPro, will be able to capture images that are up to 400 times sharper than traditional glass-based cameras, while its glasses-free smart glasses will have the same capabilities.
“We’re confident that by the end of 2017, the first glass-less smartphone will be on the market,” said Dr Zhang Zhiming, the head of LG’s consumer-electronics business.
GlassPro will feature a 5.7-inch (15-megapixel) screen, which will allow users to create photos with a higher quality.LG also announced that its smart glasses range will also include the capability to connect to the internet through its Bluetooth technology.”LG is confident that the glass-blowing power of GlassPro will be enough to make Glass a real competitor in the smartphone market,” Zhang added.
Glass Pro, which was unveiled last week, will sell for $150 (£99).
It is not clear if LG plans to bring Glass Pro to other countries, although Google has said that some of its devices will be made in Australia.LG’s announcement comes just a few weeks after Google confirmed that its Glass glasses would be available to the public in 2019.
“When people have access to a high quality glass-covered smartphone, they can experience the world with the world’s most popular smartphone,” said Google’s vice president of product management for glasses, Steve Yassky.
“For Glass, we’re hoping that people will start using Glass to make their own phone and also to share and share with others, and we believe this will be a huge step forward for glasses technology,” Yasski added.
“The most powerful phone ever, Google Glass, is already available to consumers.
But we’ve been working hard to make the technology even more accessible to everyone.
We want Glass to become the ultimate wearable device.”
The Glass team have also revealed that the company is developing new Glass glasses, and are looking to build a range that will feature more than 100 new glasses.
“Our plan is to deliver a range with 100 new Glass-enabled devices that we hope will help users make meaningful connections with the environment and their surroundings, and help them achieve better social and health outcomes,” said LG’s Zheng in a statement.
“Through the Glass ecosystem, we will be bringing the Glass experience to more people, and bringing a more affordable way for consumers to own and use Glass.”
“We have also been developing a new Glass smart glass, called Tango, to enable the Glass world to benefit from the same technology and benefits we have already created,” added Zheng.
