While Google did recently end the Glass Explorer program, the company is not entirely done with the idea. Google is now working with eyewear company Luxottica for the next version of Glass.
The news was confirmed by Luxottica CEO Massimo Vian, who also said that Glass will be out between February and March of 2016.
"In Google, there are some second thoughts on how to interpret version 3 [of the eyewear]," Vian said in a shareholder meeting in Milan. "What you saw was version 1. We're now working on version 2, which is in preparation."
It was never assumed that Google would be done with Glass entirely, even when it shut down its original program for it. In fact, Google even released statements saying that it would continue working on the project for the future. Google Glass 2.0 will likely be a much more user-friendly version of Glass and will probably cost far less than the $1,500 that the first iteration of the product cost.
Vian also revealed that Google was looking into what version three might end up looking like, but there are "second thoughts" as to what it might end up like.
Aside from the revelation that Glass is getting a redesign, details about the glasses are quite scarce. Reports suggest that it will be powered by an Intel processor and that it is aimed at being "user-ready."
In fact, this will not be the first time that Luxottica is working with Intel. The company reportedly has its own headset in the works that is also powered by Intel and will also debut in 2016.
"The two Corporations will establish a team of experts devoted to working on the design, development, tooling and engineering of Glass products that straddle the line between high-fashion, lifestyle and innovative technology," said a statement from Luxottica.
It is expected that Luxottica brands Ray-Ban and Oakley will be involved with the development of the new product.
A number of companies have begun developing their own augmented and virtual reality products. While Google is the main player in the augmented reality market, virtual reality has been growing a lot, with the likes of Oculus and Sony both releasing or preparing to release headsets of their own. Google has also somewhat entered the virtual reality market with Google Cardboard, which allows users to turn their smartphone into a virtual reality headset.
Only time will tell if Google's new attempt at Google Glass will be a success.
