Google Glass Release Date News: Comes With $1500 Price and Spare Frames Shipped to Anywhere in the US

By Kevin Li First Posted: May 14, 2014 05:24 PM EDT

The time is finally here: Google Glass is now available everywhere.

Google Glass was first made available in the U.S. outside of its "Explorer" program last April for only a single day, but as of Wednesday, May 14, Google Glass is available again to the general public, this time for the foreseeable future. First-time customers will also be given a free spare frame of their choice in this new deal, but the price remains a staggering $1,500 — especially considering a recent IHS tear-down of Glass (via Mashable) revealed each pair costs about $150 to make.

For the original "Explorer" program, would-be users had to apply and be approved by Google to join its beta test of the product, or win a Google contest by sharing their ideas on what to do if they owned Glass. Although this program has moved into the public sphere now, Forbes warns that the product is still effective in beta testing, and the final commercial product will likely be significantly better and significantly cheaper. The Google Explorers are essentially being charged a tremendous amount in order to give the company user experience feedback and be the first kids on the block to try what may, in future iterations, prove to be a very popular and useful electronic gadget.

The latest Explorer Edition of Google Glass resembles ordinary glasses with a tiny display and an improved earpiece mounted on the frame's right side. With Glass connected to a smartphone, users can surf the Internet, get information like directions, and receive notifications and content from Glass's custom apps. It's voice-controlled and also features a small touch pad on the side.

You can now order Glass from the Glass website directly and have it shipped anywhere in the U.S., excluding P.O. boxes and Puerto Rico.

Google Glass Technical Specifications: