Following yesterday’s announcement that Google Glass is finally going on sale to the general public in the US, it seems that Samsung is playing catchup and ramping up its own augmented reality glasses in the process.
According to Techradar, the Korean manufacturer is preparing to launch its Google Glass rival device – tentatively titled Gear Glass – at the IFA expo in September of this year.
Techradar cites a source at Samsung and rumours that had previously been circulating regarding the as-yet unconfirmed product. We had previously reported on Samsung’s smart glasses in April when patents for the device appeared on a Korean website.
It is said that the specs for the device will be similar to the ones listed in the patent, which include a small, clear heads-up-display which protrudes to around the front of the wearer’s right eye. Additionally, it is being claimed that the camera will be an improvement upon the one found on Google Glass.
Meanwhile, the design will resemble a bluetooth headset. Business Korea has divulged the device’s OS via a quote from a Samsung associate, who told the publication that the wearable will run the next generation of Tizen OS – also found on the other Gear products, including the Gear 2 smartwatch and on an upcoming Samsung smartphone.
Perhaps the most interesting tidbit to be revealed is the fact that Samsung reportedly intends to retail the Gear Glass immediately after its launch. Keeping in mind that Google had an extended test period for its augmented reality headset, Samsung has obviously decided to forego that altogether.
This shows confidence in consumer demand for the product on Samsung’s part. Therefore it will be interesting to note how much Samsung decides to retail the product for – Google’s steep asking price of $1500 for Google Glass is arguably its biggest drawback.
As previously mentioned, there has been no official confirmation of Gear Glass from Samsung as of yet. We’ll be tracking the news, so stay tuned for more updates when they are announced.
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