Google planning to let anyone in the US purchase Google Glass for a limited time [Updated]

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Google Glass XE11 setup

According to an internal document obtained by The Verge, Google will soon be expanding their current Glass Explorer program in quite a big way. For a limited time, any US resident with $1,500 to spare will be able to purchase Google’s wearable computer. This one day only promotion could start as soon as April 15th according to the document below. To sweeten the deal, Google plans to offer either free frames or free shades to new Glass Explorers.

Glass_Slide_full

This is quite the promotion compared to Google’s previous methods to expand the Glass Explorer program. Previously, you had to either register at Google IO 2012, be 1 of 8,000 #IfIHadGlass contest winners, get an invite from a current Explorer, be a Google Play All Access subscriber, be lucky enough to get one from the Glass sign-up page, or win Phandroid’s Great American Glass contest.

It’s worth mentioning that this new promotion isn’t to be confused with a public, consumer launch. Google is just opening the Glass Explorer program up to a larger audience. With the impending KitKat release for Glass, we’re sure Google is trying to get Glass in the hands of as many users as possible to help iron out some final bugs before a future public launch. That said, we still don’t know when the public launch will be and we don’t have any information on the consumer price either.

If you have the cash on hand, will you be purchasing Google Glass and joining the Glass Explorer program? Let us know in the comments.

Update: And, now it’s official.

Next Tuesday, April 15th at 6am PDT, we’re opening up some spots in the Glass Explorer Program. Any adult in the US* can become an Explorer by visiting our site and purchasing Glass for $1500 + tax – and it now comes with your favorite shade or frame, thanks to feedback from our current Explorers. The number of spots available is limited, so mark your calendar if you want to get in. You can find us on Tuesday at: http://google.com/glass/start/how-to-get-one

Source: The Verge

Derek Ross
I'm a passionate Android enthusiast that's on the pulse of the latest Android news, writing about Android as often as possible. I'm also a little addicted to social networking. Hit me up, I'd love to chat.

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21 Comments

  1. the price is so steep

    1. If it was any steeper it’d be a vertical rockface.

  2. I have absolutely no interest in this product at this price point.

    1. I will agree that it’s tough spending that amount of money on a beta product. Especially a year into the Explorer program.

      1. says the man waering glass :P

        1. And I would do it again on April 15th if I wasn’t already a Glass Explorer. I like being an early adopter. I like being able to use futuristic tech before anyone else. I enjoy helping and shaping this new platform.

      2. I figure I will let you guys work out the rough edges and then buy the optimized product for a fraction of the price when it releases. Til then I am perfectly happy with my other various devices, it is not like I really need anymore connectivity honestly.

  3. Google out of their minds. $1500? What is the big benefits the users would get?

    1. To use a new product and platform before the public.

  4. I think it’s a good bet that we’re still at least a year or two from mass distribution.

  5. $1,500 was outright ridiculous for Glass. Glass should NOT cost more than a phone / tablet, which both have so much more hardware in them (which should make them more expensive to produce), according to my understanding, than Glass.

    1. Although I agree $1,500 is an outright ridiculous price for Glass, I must extrapolate the same for the claim that Glass cost less to produce than a tablet or phone. Forget economies of scale for a minute, just imagine the R&D costs alone. Good news is it may become cheaper in the future?

      1. When it goes into final production it will be way cheaper. It just cost so much now because its being produced in very limited quantities

  6. So I’ve got a question for someone who has Glass already, I’m somewhat blind in my right eye, if I close my left eye I wouldn’t be able to read the words I’m typing right now but I can see shapes, objects, words if they’re big enough, you think I could use Glass?

    1. I don’t know… It’s supposed to mimic a 25 inch 10 that’s 10 feet away. That said, it is very small… You might be able to see the display, but not read it. I would say find a local explorer and see if you can try on their Glass. If you’re in PA, let me know.

  7. So can I get a pair of free frames if I already own a glass?

  8. Oh Google thank you so much for that. In fact I’m so happy right now that I’m letting anyone, for a limited time only, buy my Nexus 7 2014 for the same bargain of $1500. And don’t worry I won’t charge sales tax. Inbox me if interested.

    1. You make a great point, Fel. Many techies barely have $500 lying around to spend on a piece of tech they really want, let alone triple that amount.

  9. $1500 is pretty high price to pay so people will laugh at you. Sry; but this product is going to bomb. It has lawsuit written all over it, looks ridiculous, and doesn’t do anything a wearable wont do without looking like a dork.

  10. Great more USA only rubbish.

  11. Received an invite to the Explorer program a couple months ago, but as much as I’d like to test it out, there is just no way I can justify that price.

    I would also be insta-murdered by my significant other.

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