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Google

Could an update mean a Google Glass resurgence?

By Tom Brant PCmag
Published | Updated
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File photo: Two attendees wearing Google Glass listen to the opening keynote during the annual Google I/O developers conference in San Jose, California, U.S., May 17, 2017. (REUTERS/Stephen Lam)

Google Glass, an experimental and extremely expensive wearable that took the tech world by storm a few years ago, resurfaced again this week when it received its first software update in nearly three years.

The update, released on Tuesday, isn't terribly exciting: in addition to bug fixes and performance improvements, the only new feature is Bluetooth support, which means Glass can now be paired with input devices like keyboards.

As TechCrunch notes, the last Glass software update was in September 2014, so this week's update might be reassuring to Glass owners who thought Google abandoned them. Still, adding Bluetooth and a few unnamed enhancements is not that reassuring, and everything else about the Glass seems to indicate that it's headed for extinction: the support website is pretty bare bones, and the Google Glass homepage simply reads "Thanks for exploring with us. The journey doesn't end here."

Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on whether we'll see more Glass updates in the future.

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The $1,500 wearable debuted in 2012, and outside of extremely limited public sales windows, it was mostly only available to software developers and enthusiasts willing to join a waitlist. People who did manage to buy a pair, however, were treated to a futuristic heads-up display that could show Google search results, images, and more. Glass also earned curious and often envious glances from passers-by.

But innovation seems to have passed Glass by: wearables and augmented reality have come a long way since 2012, and Google itself has moved on to other efforts, including its Tango AR platform for smartphones and its Daydream View VR headset. So adding Bluetooth support to Glass is likely a swan song, rather than a sign of a Glass resurgence.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.