For $ 180 million
Smart glasses Google Glass debuted in the market in 2014, although developers could get this device back in 2013. Despite the forecasts of some analysts, the glasses failed in sales and quickly disappeared from the consumer market.
Is the market ready for smart glasses now? Alphabet acquires North specializing in such devices
True, the project was not closed – it continues to exist, and Google continues to sell smart glasses, but only to corporate clients. How successful this direction is is unknown, but apparently they are not going to collapse it with Google.
According to sources, the Alphabet holding, of which Google is a part, is in the final stages of acquiring the Canadian company North, which also specializes in smart glasses. True, her first product also failed – they say that less than 1000 devices were sold. But this year, North promised to release a completely new and improved model throughout. If the merger information is correct, then this newest model may not even see the light. However, we don’t yet know why Alphabet needed North’s assets and why it was the holding, and not specifically Google, who bought them.
The deal will amount to $ 180 million, which is not particularly significant for Alphabet, but still, it is far from a small purchase. Perhaps inside Alphabet or Google, work is underway on completely new smart glasses. In the end, according to rumors, Apple is preparing such a device, and it supposedly will revolutionize the market.
