It’s been widely assumed that Google Glass will eventually support prescription lenses, especially considering Glass is just a pair of glasses, after all. Today, we actually have confirmation from Google that a prescription version of Glass will be coming later in 2013. The prescription variant is currently in development and will be available after the first Explorer Edition of the product.
One of the questions we hear the most is whether there will be a prescription solution for Glass. The short answer is: yes!
To tease those of you with less than nominal vision, Google even shared a photo of Greg Priest-Dorman, a member of the Glass team, wearing one of the prescription prototypes (pictured above). Keep in mind the device in the image is not a mockup of any kind, and it is actually a fully working version. This supports the rumor that the prescription version of Google Glass will be available just in time for the holiday season.
Google also announced that they designed Glass so that it could be easily modified, essentially hinting that even more variations of the product are soon to come:
The Glass design is modular, so you will be able to add frames and lenses that match your prescription. We understand how important this is and we’ve been working hard on it.
Google did say that they are currently “perfecting” the final design for the prescription edition, and also added that it “won’t be ready for the Explorer Edition’s release.”
…hang in there — you can expect to see them later this year.
The Explorer Edition is actually the very first model of Google Glass, that’s also expected to arrive sometime before the end of the year. We also recently learned that Google is looking to sell Glass for less than $1,500, which probably means the price will be somewhere right around $1,499.
This is certainly exciting news for anyone interested in Google Glass. The news of the prescription variant also suggests that the Explorer Edition will release even earlier. It’s possible that we will see the Explorer Edition launch at the beginning of the third or fourth quarter this year.
Undoubtedly, there will be lots of nerd and geeks jokes out there concerning the prescription edition. I’ll hold off on sharing some for now. It’s certainly good to see that Google is willing to extend support for Glass, even before it’s officially launched.
Via: Project Glass