Despite Google publicising its augmented reality specs, known as Google Glass, it seems that most UK adults still aren’t aware of the device – or simply don’t care about it.
According to the findings of a new survey by media database Gorkana Group, 68 per cent of UK adults remain ignorant of what Google Glass is with just 12 per cent of respondents professing to know a lot about the product and a further 20 per cent having an inkling as to what it might be about.
The lack of consumer awareness regarding the device in the UK may be due to the fact that it hasn’t been released to the general public over here – with Google focussing predominantly on business users.
As part of its ongoing publicity campaign, Google made the device available for retail for one day only in the US yesterday. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how that affected sales across the pond – with official figures yet to be released.
Coming back to the UK, many respondents were also uneasy about some of the potential pitfalls of Google Glass; with 47 per cent wary of possible privacy concerns ‘ although this did not translate into a groundswell of support for an outright ban – with just 20 per cent backing such an extreme move.
Nonetheless, such third party coverage of Google Glass – which analysts note has been extensively covered in the media, an action that still hasn’t translated in to raised consumer awareness (at least in the UK) – can only aid the product. Gorkana’s survey, for example, made sure to mention the key features which are likely to draw people to the gadget; namely GPS maps, voice activated photos, music and traffic updates.
“The data clearly shows that Google Glass has a long way to go in gaining wide appeal in the UK,” said Jeremy Thompson, CEO of Gorkana Group.
“More concerning for wearable devices such as this is that of those that do know the product well, a significant majority have concerns about privacy, which certainly suggests that education about the product is going to be as important as the technology features.”
The stats were compiled from a survey of 1,000 people in the UK yesterday, to coincide with the limited Google Glass launch in the US.
To find out what we thought of Google Glass – when we tested it out at the Wearable Tech Show 2014 – head here.
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