Samsung Galaxy Glass to Make September Debut, Says Korea Times
Fresh off the announcement that Samsung and Google had signed a patent licensing deal—which will enable the two companies more access to each other’s library of tech and innovations without fear of infringement suits—news broke from the Korea Times (via the Verge) that Samsung is readying its own “Galaxy Glass” wearable set of specs for a September debut.
Good thing Google can’t sue them for patent infringement now.
The report says that Galaxy Glass—which we’d heard about back in October—will be unveiled at the IFA fair in Berlin “at the earliest,” which takes place in September. And that month makes sense, especially if the company wants to create buzz for the 2014 holiday shopping season. The post also notes that the device is registered with Korea’s patent office, which had been reported by the Wall Street Journal a few weeks after the above-linked story first got out in early-October.
The report says that the device will function much like Galaxy Gear already does—but on your face. That means it’ll sync up with your smartphone, give you alerts on your lenses, allow you to take calls or play music.
As to what it’ll look like, that’s anyone’s guess—though the above image from Samsung’s patent filing gives us some clues. Hopefully that’s not too accurate, and that the final product will make its wearers actually look good instead of like big nerds.
I don’t have much faith in this actually happening, however.
I mean, look at the Galaxy Gear:
It’s basically 2013’s version of a calculator watch:
And no one looks cool wearing a calculator watch.
Not even Sting.
So while there’s certainly a big push for “smart glasses,” I’m having a hard time imagining them catching on in general. That’s because as dorky as a smartwatch can be, even worst design can be hidden under someone’s sleeve. Wearing a pair of weird wrap-around glasses that everyone knows is tied to your smartphone is impossible to ignore, and seems like a recipe for disaster.
A recent article in Wired about the forthcoming rise of the wearables fad goes into depth about the dangers of tech companies trying their hand at fashion. In short, the realities of mass-production and functionality make the creation of an actually desirable fashion accessory that much more of a challenge for companies more accustomed to making cool gadgets that live in your pocket.
But that’s just me. Are you interested in putting your smartphone on your face for the world to see?