Glass is back, and the wearable is finding a home with businesses, health care providers, and various other organizations rather than consumers. While there has been no official word about it from Google, recent FCC filings give us a glimpse at the revamped device.
The new Glass, dubbed the enterprise version, sports a new look with a larger glass prism, has a hinge so it can be folded away and placed in pockets, is waterproof and more durable, and has much-improved internals.
The device will support 5GHz Wi-Fi and will be utilizing Intel’s low-power Atom processor, which also provides better heat management, according to 9to5Google. The device has an improved battery and will also have an external battery pack that attaches to Glass via magnets.
The reason for Glass’ new design is that Google is giving the device a workplace focus, and adding durability and waterproofing measures goes a long way. The power button has been moved to the back of the device and the manual says the light on the front of the device lights up when the camera is in use. It also pulses when charging and stays on when the device is fully charged. Users will still be using the touchpad on the side to navigate cards on the display.
There is still another picture in the FCC filing of Glass with the nose bridge familiar to the old version, so it’s unclear if this is simply another offering from Google or if the enterprise version hasn’t been finalized yet.
The company has been distributing the new version to partners of the Glass for Work program, where they likely have built proprietary software for Glass, according to 9to5Google. It’s unclear if Google ever plans to launch this device for consumers.
