Glass Could Be Released In Q1 2014

In the light of new information regarding Google’s Glass release date project, we have decided to round up one more time everything we’ve heard about it and draw some basic conclusion concerning its release date.

So, in the past week, the Barrons posted another release forecast of the Google Glass. The information was obtained in a meeting with Himax, the company manufacturing the micro-displays used in the Glass, by a financial analyst from Chardan Capital Markets, Jay Srivatsa.

As Jay Srivatsa stated after the meeting, it seems that Google is pressing the guys at HIMAX to start the manufacturing of LCoS Microdisplays for the upcoming Google Glass. Considering that we are already in October, we believe it is very unlikely for Google to launch the device around Christmas time, as it has been rumored in the media until now. A more realistic deadline for the release would be in the first quarter of 2014. More than that, it is expected for the Glass to come in at least two versions by then, as Google will also develop a Glass version targeted on people who need prescription glasses.

Regardless to this new supposition (this deadline isn’t officially confirmed by Google), we must say that it’s been a while since we’ve last heard rumors about a Glass launch in December 2013. So, we aren’t very enthusiastic about this new forecast as it may be just another fake Glass rumor. And besides, Google’s team has mentioned more than once that they expect to have a bigger consumer market if the Glass is released in 2014. Frankly, we believe that even their Christmas customers have redirected their attention towards other gadgets for this holiday.

As for the prescription variant of the Glass, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about it either. Analysts have predicted the arrival of this version since past July.

Is Microsoft developing a similar gadget?

Another statement of Srivatsa in the article also drew our attention. As he claims, Himax isn’t producing these micro-displays only for Google, but for another company as well. Srivatsa goes on to speculate that this company could be Microsoft. This wouldn’t be surprising at all, as just a couple of weeks before, we were writing an article in which we elaborated this possibility.