A new report shows that the next-generation Google Glass will run using Intel processor. The Glass, which is expected to arrive in mainstream market sometime next year, brings the chipmaker deeper into the wearable technology niche.
Earlier in 2014, Google announced that it was pushing the head-mounted Internet-powered display for its appeal among business-minded users by launching the Glass at Work program. It even made mention that the employees of Schlumberger, an oilfield services company, are currently using Glass to enhance safety and efficiency.
Recently, Intel has been collaborating with a number of companies as it positions itself in the wearables market. At the CES 2014, the company showed off the so-called 'smart earbuds' which are designed to measure the heart rate of a runner.
Intel's effort is described by Kevin Spain as a positive signal as far as the category on wearable is concerned. Spain is a general partner of venture-capital firm Emergence Capital Partners which invested in Augmedix. The latter focuses on selling software that allows hospitals and doctors to use Glass when recording health data automatically.
"We expect Glass to evolve and be more useful for companies, but it will still be a crossover device for consumers," said Eric Johnsen, VP of business development at APX Labs. The company makes it possible for the Glass software to be used in businesses coming from industries such as logistics, oilfield-services, and manufacturing.
Google Glass has already gone through a series of small iterative upgrades. These include adding compatibility features with prescription lenses and doubling the RAM. The wearable's shift into a new processor could be regarded as a major overhaul decision for the device.
Currently, the Glass' widespread adoption is being slowed down by the device's limited battery life and its whopping four-figure price tag. Having a more modern processor coupled with a refreshed design may eventually see the wearable gain an increased consumer interest, something that Google has always wanted to achieve. Intel, on its part, seemed more interested to promote the wearable as a workplace companion. The chipmaker sees its partnership with Google as an opportunity to market the wearable to hospitals and manufacturers. It had also committed itself in developing the device's new workplace uses.
Early adopters of Google Glass were able to get their hands on the device in 2012. When the wearable was launched for a public sale in May, it carried the price tag of $1500.
