Part of the reason why Google Glass has failed to achieve mainstream acceptance is the bulky form factor that gives any person wearing it an ultra-nerdy look. Google, however, hopes to surpass the design setbacks in Google Glass v2.0.
A patent awarded to Google on Dec. 2 indicates Google is working on a cooler, sleeker design for its second version of Google Glass. For all its efforts to sell its smart eyewear as a fashion-forward design, even partnering with Ray-Ban and Oakley owner Luxottica and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, Google has failed to court mainstream consumers into adopting the geeky-looking glasses.
The new patent, however, could change that. The new design features a lighter, slimmer look, with Google doing away with the bulky piece on the back of the right side, which many Google Glass Explorers, or beta version buyers, complained about breaking. The textured touch pad and the prism have been moved to the left side in what appears to be a smaller casing instead of taking up the entire length of the band.
For now, the patent does not show an eyepiece and it still includes the front-facing camera, which is also another reason behind all the backlash against Google Glass.
It remains to be seen whether all of Google Glass' functionalities will be carried out in the new form, and whether this is the final design Google has chosen for its iteration of its facial wearable. The patent, which was first discovered by Quartz, is actually the third in a string of patented designs awarded to Google engineer Mitchell Heinrich, a key member in the Google Glass team.
The first patent, awarded in August, was for a "wearable display device" that looks like a normal pair of eyeglasses equipped with a transparent display, indicating that Google wants to address the issue that Google Glass screams nerdy from all angles. A day after that, Google received again another patent award for a different Google Glass design that looks like a Star Trek visor.
Looking at the patents alone, little is known about what new functionalities Google plans to incorporate in the second version of Glass. Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google has partnered with Intel to provide the processor for the Glass' second version, which will replace the Texas Instruments system on a chip supplied in the Explorer version.
Despite receiving a more than enthusiastic response from developers when it was unveiled in 2012, Google Glass has quickly become the subject of derision by most consumers, labeling Glass wearers as "glassholes" for allegedly taking discreet photos and videos of other people without their consent.
Recently, the Motion Pictures Association of America, fearing the use of Glass in piracy, released new rules prohibiting moviegoers from taking out their Glass in theaters. It's not just the general public averting, however. Even early Glass adopters, including major developer Twitter, has defected.
Even so, Google insists it is as enthusiastic about Google Glass as ever, and the current collection of patents for a new Glass version shows the company isn't giving up on what it says is its vision of the future.
