Google Glass partners with Luxottica to design Google Glasses for 2015 Launch - Google Glass now on the Path to going Mainstream with US$199 Glasses

“We believe that a strategic partnership with a leading player like Google is the ideal platform for developing a new way forward in our industry and answering the evolving needs of consumers on a global scale”

Luxottica Chief Executive Officer Andrea Guerra commenting on the deal with Google Glass

Google Glass has been having it rough ever since they came on the scene back in April 2012 as chronicled in Kelroy’s Geezam blog post entitled ““Project Glass” by Google – Augmented Reality Glasses for the masses”.

Now it looks like Google Glass may officially be launched as a product for the masses by 2015 with the help of Glasses maker Luxottica based on reports as published in “Ray-Ban maker Luxottica to bring Google Glass to wider market”, published Tue Mar 25, 2014 12:07pm EDT BY STEPHEN JEWKES, Reuters.

The Google Glass Team has now partnered with Luxury brand Luxottica and its massive portfolio of High-brow eyeglasses as stated in “Google Glass getting more style from Oakley, Ray-Ban, Luxottica”, published March 24, 2014 6:08 PM PDT by Eric Mack, CNET News. The announcement was posted on their Google Glass Google+ Page in a post that’s quite lengthy, a fact which compelled me to join as I love that!

Luxottica had agreed to design, develop and distribute Google Glass eyewear and hopefully chop the price down from US$1500 to US at least $29.99 on the low end up to US$199.99 on the Luxury end. Already this announced partnership has spelled good news for Luxottica’s founder Leonardo Del Vecchio.

Luxottica Benefits from Google Glass – Google Glass now on the Path to going Mainstream

Their share price has been up 4 percent to 40.55 euros on the EU Stock Exchange, representing a valua proposition of US$19.8 billion, an increase of US$700 billion immediately after the announcement as stated in “Google Glass Ray-Bans? Partnership With Luxottica Makes Founder Del Vecchio $700M Richer”, published 3/25/2014 @ 1:49PM by Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.

Partnering with VSP Global back in November 2013 was a great start, as that gave Googlers with an eye for Glass a chance to add it to their prescriptions as surmised in my blog article entitled “Google Glass partners VSP Global to make them more fashionable and thus mainstream - A perfect replacement for the Smartphone that’ll see many Americans Frozen staring in space”.

Now Luxury brand Luxottica pushes Google Glass to the stylish and prêt-a-porter Glasses scene with the following branded frames:

1.      Ray-Ban

2.      Oakley

3.      Vogue Eyewear

4.      Persol

5.      Oliver Peoples

6.      Alain Mikli

7.      Arnetteto

Wordy posts and gushing, not to mention this partnership are a serious indicator in the Google World that they’re serious about Google Glass and that it’s not just another Beta testing fad for their Californian geek crowd. I has especially love the fact that Google Glass Team had gone all out to debunk several myths about Explorers using Glass to spy on them by placing a guide on How Explorer should behave in Public so as not to become “glass holes”.

“Glass holes” of course being a derogatory term that a play on “Google Glass” and “asshole” as noted in “Google to Glassholes: Stop it”, published February 19, 2014 9:19 AM PST by Chris Matyszczyk, CNET News. Google has also sought to debunk myths about Google Glass via their post debunking so called “10 Great Myths about Google Glass” on their Google+ Page as laid out in “Google: No, no. You've got Glass all wrong”, published March 21, 2014 10:28 AM PDT by Chris Matyszczyk, CNET News.

Google puts in the Grind – Prices in the US$29.99 to US$199,99 price Range needed for Regular Users

Again, the effort and time taken to defend Google Glass against criticism indicates that they are taking this product seriously. Google Glass will make smartphones and Tablets Extinct thanks to AR (Augmented Reality) and Gesture and Voice control being integrated in Google Glass in the coming future as predicted in my blog article entitled “Google Glass Designer Isabelle Olsson puts Leopard frames on Google Glass - Smart + Sexy = Smexy glasses Katy Perry Roar for Tablet and smartphone Extinction”.

Especially as Samsung plans to launch Samsung Galaxy Glass paired with a Samsung Galaxy Gear at IFA 2014 in September 2014, which may be the first Glasses smartphone as stated in my blog article entitled “Samsung Galaxy Glass going public in September at IFA 2014 - Google Glass way ahead having partnered with Optometrists to offer Glass with Glasses”.

Google now need to integrate these technologies along with an app store into Glass and package it so that Google Glass is an attractive option you can get at your local Optometrist as I’d argued in my blog article entitled “Google Glass partners VSP Global to make them more fashionable and thus mainstream - A perfect replacement for the Smartphone that’ll see many Americans Frozen staring in space”.

Given the fact that it may eventually make the smartphone and Tablet extinct and even be paired with Google Android on smartphones, Tablets and even smartwatches as described in Kelroy’s Geezam Blog article entitled “Google announces Android Wear”, attractive eyewear and great pricing will go a long way towards mainstream acceptance.

More exciting development on Google Glass coming soon! In the meantime, I’m adding Google Glass to my Google Alerts as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “Google Alerts Diamond in the Rough coming to Google+ to deliver Technology News”. You can also check out the latest announcements on Google Glass on their Google Glass Google+ Page and Google Glass YouTube Channel.