Google Glass will reportedly be quite affordable and may sport a price tag of $299 initially.
Google is widely anticipated to launch its smart glasses, the Google Glass, by the end of this year and if a recent report is to be believed, purchasing it will not burn a hole in your wallet.
The latest information is courtesy of researchers at Taiwan's Topology Research Institute who believe that Google may price its smart glasses at the affordable price point of $299, which is several times cheaper than the $1500 developers had to shell out for the early "Explorer Edition."
"Google Inc.'s eyeglass-shaped mobile computing device will likely be priced at an affordable level when it officially goes on sale, a local researcher at the Topology Research Institute said Wednesday," reports Focus Taiwan. "The Google Glass is expected to carry an initial price tag to consumers of US$299, Topology researcher Jason Tsai told reporters on the sidelines of a local seminar on wearable devices."
The price estimation has likely been based on the bill of materials for Google Glass. The device's display component will apparently account for the biggest share of total expenditure and its manufacturing cost is between $30 to $35.
"We believe wearable devices will face the first wave of growth in the coming one to three years due to their innovative features, and will then experience a rapid growth in the next phase when the market becomes more mature," notes Topology Research chief analyst Jason Tsai.
Google announced its trial project for the Google Glass in April 2012 and began shipping the device in April this year to developers who registered as early backers and paid $1,500. The gadget is a combination of a mobile computer and eyeglasses and has the ability to record videos, surf the Internet, as well as access emails and messages.
The eyeglass-shaped device comes equipped with a 5-megapixel camera that can record 720p video. Google Glass also has 12GB of usable memory and supports Wi-Fi connectivity.
Estimations suggest that Google Glass shipments could reach 124,000 units and the consumer version of the device is expected to go on sale by year end.
If the Google Glass is indeed priced reasonably at $299 then it will find many takers and the shipment forecasts could even be surpassed. However, with Google yet to confirm the price, such news should be taken with a pinch of salt.
