Google's Elusive Dream of Developing 'AR Glasses'... "Confusion Continues"

"Frequent Changes in Personnel and Strategy Slow Down Technology Development"
Apple's 'Vision Pro' Causes Internal Frustration
New Team Formed in February to Push Business Forward Again

Google is reportedly facing difficulties in developing augmented reality (AR) glasses technology, causing delays in the release of related products and services. Despite nearly a decade of effort in developing glasses technology, Google has yet to launch a product that captures consumer attention, falling behind Meta Platforms and Apple, which are steadily releasing mixed reality (MR) and AR headsets.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 22nd (local time), the U.S. economic media Business Insider reported, citing multiple internal and external sources at Google, that although Google has been making efforts for years to develop AR devices, frequent changes in personnel and company strategy have continued to slow down technological progress. As a result, many employees inside Google reportedly felt frustrated when Apple unveiled the 'Vision Pro' last June.

Google has made several attempts to develop glasses technology. It is said that Google recently worked on an AR glasses project called 'Iris.' According to sources, until the team was disbanded in January, Google had been developing proprietary technology for years, designing custom semiconductors and manufacturing displays. During this process, in 2020, Google invested $180 million (approximately 241 billion KRW) to acquire the startup 'North,' which was producing smart glasses, incorporating North's technology into its internal development and bringing in talent.

However, employees involved in the project said that instructions related to Iris kept changing. For example, the lenses were initially developed like regular transparent glasses, then switched to sunglasses, and then reverted to the original version. There were also discussions about whether images should be viewed in color or black and white.

A source said, "There was a major turning point every six months," adding, "The executives would look at the product in development and say, 'We want something a little different.'"

Last year, Business Insider reported that Google partnered with Samsung to develop AR devices but faced difficulties. When news emerged that Apple was preparing a headset last year, anxiety grew among Google executives. Around that time, Samsung showed interest in developing Android-based MR and AR headsets, and a project codenamed 'Moohan' was underway, with Google participating as a software developer.

During this process, Google reportedly received a request from its partner Samsung, expressing that Samsung did not want Google to develop AR devices independently within Google beyond their collaborative product. This demand arose because if Google developed AR glasses separately while cooperating with Samsung, competition would be inevitable. A former Google employee explained that this would ultimately mean Samsung would take the lead in product development.

The smart glasses 'Google Glass' developed by Google in the past

Having been in the glasses business since 2014, Google has faced multiple challenges over more than a decade but is once again pushing forward with glasses development. Google executives believe that even though the Iris project was canceled, developing glasses remains necessary for future business.

Accordingly, one month after the Iris team was disbanded, in February, Google internally formed a new team to rework the software developed for Iris under a project codenamed 'Betty.' Executives have told employees they want to secure partners for this glasses development within this year, with Samsung mentioned as a leading candidate, according to Business Insider. However, internally, it is believed that the product under development will likely not be released to the market until at least 2025.

Internal employees believe that maintaining consistency is crucial for Google to produce tangible results by creating hardware devices like glasses. Mark Lucovsky, the senior director who stepped down last month as head of AR and MR development at Google, cited "changes in AR leadership and Google's unstable commitments and vision" as reasons for his departure. A former Google employee told Business Insider, "Google's fundamental problem with hardware is struggling with product consistency."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.