Google stops Glass sales but says it remains committed to wearables

Future versions of Google glass will replace the developer-friendly Explorer Edition

Google has stopped selling Google Glass in its present form, but remains committed to pursuing smart glasses as a future wearable technology.

The firm said in a Google+ post that it will close the Glass Explorer Programme that provides Glass to early adopters for $1,500, and will instead focus on "future versions of Glass".

Google will continue to support companies using Glass, but will cease taking orders for the Glass Explorer Edition on 19 January.

The Glass Explorer Programme launched in 2013 and was designed to allow developers to create apps for the technology. A full consumer launch was expected to follow, but Google did not bring any versions of Glass to the shelves.

The general reception to the Glass Explorer Edition was lukewarm, with many citing a lack of apps as a stumbling block to consumer adoption.

Developers also moved away from Glass, claiming that its limitations and paucity of users had caused interest to wane in creating augmented reality apps for the eyewear.

Reports also suggested that Google was going to shift the focus of Glass to applications in the workplace. Versions of the smart glasses were expected to use Intel chips.

However, it appears that Google will not pursue this strategy, particularly as Intel has recently invested $24.8m in potential Glass rival Vuzix in a drive to make inroads into the wearables arena.

Google admitted that Glass is in its infancy, and that it needed early adopters, dubbed 'Explorers', to take the first steps. But the firm insists that development will continue.

"We still have some work to do, but now we're ready to put on our big kid shoes and learn how to run," said Google.

"In the meantime, we're continuing to build for the future, and you'll start to see future versions of Glass when they're ready."

Glass was developed originally at the company's clandestine Google X labs, which works on experimental technology such as the Project Wing drones and driverless cars, but the next steps will be carried out by a different division of the company.

"As we look to the road ahead, we realise that we've outgrown the lab so we're officially 'graduating' from Google X to our own team here at Google," the company said.

"We're thrilled to be moving even more from concept to reality."

V3 approached Google for more comment, but the company has yet to respond.

Google has remained quiet on its future strategy for Glass, saying: "For now, no peeking."

However, the firm could find itself in a more crowded market when it re-enters the wearable space, especially with SAP and Samsung teaming up to develop wearable technology.