As we know now, Google Glass probably won't be released until about a year from now, but as more developers get their hands on prototypes, new information is bound to leak its way onto the Internet.
Recently, a developer took to Quora to voice some concerns over the specs for Google Glass' application programming interface, noting the device doesn't allow for augmented reality, nor does it feature a cellular connection (meaning that as it's tethered to your smartphone, it'll drain the phone's battery faster, too).
One developer who responded tried to tackle some of these concerns, and ended up divulging some noteworthy information about Google Glass' battery life.
"The battery life is a real problem too. One six-minute video I did took 20% of the battery. So, Google designed these to have a very simplistic UI, cards, and have them on screen for just a few seconds, to save battery," Robert Scoble, the startup liaison officer at Rackspace, wrote in his post.
Theoretically, that means that one half-hour video could drain the Google Glass battery completely. When Google released the official spec sheet for Glass, the company said the battery would be enough for "one full day of typical use," but it also said that video recording would be more "battery intensive." Using recording features on any device, including your smartphone, is bound to drain it significantly faster, but among the main attractions of Google Glass are photo-taking and video-recording. If the battery drains that quickly, will customers be willing to pay what will surely be a high asking price?
Scoble mentioned that the issue could be alleviated with an external battery pack (presumably for his phone), but even then, that's an extra cost on top of the hardware. Simply adding a bigger battery isn't really an option: Since you wear Google Glass on your face, Google would want to keep the thing as sleek as possible.
Of course, with a mainstream retail launch a year away, there's plenty of time for Google to improve performance. It's unlikely that the prototype developers are toying with now will be the final version that hits consumers, so let's hope this is one area that Google improves.
