Google Glass Price, Review, Release Date, Apps: Toshiba, Epson Emerge as Competitors for Google Glass
Google Glass has some emerging competition from two well-known tech companies: Toshiba and Epson.
Epson, known for their printers, has been working on a smartglass idea for some time, resulting in the Moverio line, VentureBeat reported.
The smartglasses are not as futuristic and minimalistic as Google's, but they have a more practical purpose, according to VentureBeat.
Google Glass offers some of the same functions already available on a smartphone, while Moverio aims to be an accessory to the phone.
The Epson glasses are clunkier than Google's, resembling science lab goggles, and are connected through a wire. Of course, this is different from Google's wireless Glass, and it has an independent controller.
Also in comparison to Google, the Moverio has a tiny projector that makes it seem like a transparent screen is floating in front of both lenses. By comparison, Google Glass has a single-eye display meant to be in the corner of your field of vision.
Another emerging competitor is Toshiba, according to PC World.
Toshiba revealed a prototype of its wearable at a show in Japan recently, which overall appears to be a more basic version of Google Glass, and like Moverio is not wireless.
The Toshiba prototype includes a tiny projector on the side that reflects light into the user's eye rather than displaying a direct image for the user to see.
This projector set is the reason it is not wireless, Toshiba told PC World, though it has been criticized since Google was able to accomplish the task.
Also, in comparison to Google, the display isn't a computer -- it is just a display system that is attached to the smartphone.
Despite the emergence of these two competitors, one criticism of the smartglass industry is that Google's product has created a loss of interest overall, VentureBeat reported. While it is miles ahead in technology, it is less practical than the other two.
But both competitors will offer products cheaper than Google Glass, which sells for $1,500. Moverio has a price tag of $700, making it still an expensive gadget, and Toshiba hasn't priced its product, which is still a prototype.
Google Glass has been released to developers but the product's release date into the general public has yet to be announced. As such, consumers will need to wait and see what happens next in order to get a realistic idea of the product's price in the future. You can read about Google's Glassware App at the company's website.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!