Google Glass’ second-gen enterprise model leaks with updated specs and USB-C

Google Glass may not have exactly set the world on fire with its vision of an augmented reality, wearable future, but it got a second life back in 2017 with the Google Glass Enterprise Edition. And now, leaks for the second-generation model of that enterprise version are starting to appear, with Google set to add boosted specs and a USB-C port, via 9to5Google.

From the outside, the biggest change to the second-gen Google Glass Enterprise Edition is a USB-C port for charging, replacing the magnetic cable used on the other versions of Glass. It’s a shift that makes sense considering that Google intends for these devices to be used on factory floors and warehouses where the ability to quickly recharge something is more important than the aesthetics of a magnetic charger.

9to5Google reports that the updated Glass Enterprise Edition will also feature a Snapdragon 710, with onboard LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi for connectivity. The camera is also reportedly getting another upgrade, from the 8-megapixel sensor on the previous model all the way to a 32-megapixel sensor (with support for either 4K video at 30 fps or 1080p video at 120 fps). Google is also boosting RAM to 3GB (up from 2GB on the original two generations of the Glass). In other words, it’s basically a mid-to-high range Android smartphone in a very specific form factor.

The second-gen Glass Enterprise Edition doesn’t look like a particularly ground-shaking update, but it seems that — much like Microsoft with the upcoming HoloLens 2 — Google has settled on enterprise customers as the main focus for the current generation of augmented reality tech. That may seem disappointing compared to the high-flying promises that Google once made for the platform, but hopefully these iterations of augmented reality products will help continue to be stepping stones toward a more practical consumer version down the road.