If any technology could bridge the language gap, it would be something similar to Google’s AR glasses since they allow people speaking different languages to understand in real-time what is being said to them, and translate their response so that it can be understood by the other person wearing his own glasses. And even though this type of translation is available on Pixel handsets with the “Live Translation” feature, there is something magical about seeing the translation right in front of your eyes as the words are being spoken.
But Google’s AR glasses are ending up in the same location as many of the company’s edgy ideas, compelling or otherwise. That would be the trash bin. Google even acquired Canadian smart glasses company North in 2020 with an eye toward returning to the consumer smart glasses market. Google stopped producing the consumer version of Google Glass in 2015 and earlier this year stopped offering a version for enterprise customers
As for Google’s smart glasses revival, after the heads of Google’s AR and VR units quit, constant changes in the company’s focus (no pun intended) and company announced layoffs, it looks like Google is ending the project, at least on the hardware side.
However, two Google employees hint that Google could still fan the embers of the dying flame and bring back the glasses someday. Google still has some teams working on AR technologies so anything is possible.
