Yeah, it’s happening. Project Aura, the department at Google (which again is a part of Alphabet Inc.) is hard at work on the new Google Glass, dubbed the Enterprise Edition. Modelled after the first version, the new one shows a familiar looking design with a few differences, such as a hinge that allows the device to be folded and put into your pocket.
Images of the new Google Glass were released in a FCC Filing that was published, showing both the outside of the device and the inner workings. A user manual is also attached.
The device has a much more robust looking build and is built to withstand damages (including waterproofing) it may incur in the workplace. It will also apparently host an Intel Atom processor, have improved battery life and have better wireless connectivity, including a 5GHz band for video streaming applications.
On another note, the power button has been shifted from the inside of the device to the back of it and the front light now comes on when the camera is being used. That last point is of great importance as one of the key factors contributing to the demise of the original Google Glass was the fact that people felt they were being recorded or photographed without their permission by Glass users.
Google Glass has a result had quite a rough time; it initially sold to developers in 2012 and then to consumers in 2013 but was seen as invasive and ridiculously expensive. As a result the first edition of Google Glass stopped selling in January 2015. The new edition of the Google Glass will help the company with its ailing wearable, especially if it ends up being utilised for businesses rather than for everyday users.
Bizarrely enough, Google has yet to formally announce that the Enterprise Edition of Google Glass even exists, even though there is speculation that it’s been in utilised across “Glass for Work” startups.
