Google Glass launched early as a Product - Google pre-empting Samsung Galaxy Glass and Facebook's Oculus Rift replacing the smartphone in 2015 the Year of the Sheep

Google staffers are apparently unable to keep the Google Glass to themselves any longer. Google has now launched the product officially to the public on Thursday April 24^th 2014 for a cool US$1500 a pair as reported in “Google Glass is up for Sale Again”, published April 24, 2014 10:49 AM PDT by Nick Statt, CNET News.

Google had had a one day sale a 2 weeks before on Thursday April 10^th 2014 as reported in “Google Glass gearing up for Early sale”, published April 10, 2014 11:00 AM PDT by Seth Rosenblatt, CNET News. Apparently it was a hit, despite the geeky Borg-esque design, as everything quickly sold off as reported in “Google Glass sells out in one-day sale”, published April 16, 2014 6:03 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

This second sale on Thursday April 24^th 2014 caught everyone by surprise, as no-one expected Google would follow up with a second sale, making Google Glass a normal product that anyone can purchase as stated in “Google Glass is now officially a normal, everyday product that anyone can buy”, published April 24, 2014 9:56 AM by Jon Phillips, TechHive.

Coincidentally Samsung has since filed a patent for their Samsung Galaxy Glass product on Thursday April 24^th 2014  that sees it using a simple earpiece to keep it intact on the wearers head as stated in “Samsung files patent for Google Glass rival: Will it run on Android or Tizen?”, published April 24, 10:59 AM By Joseph Mayton, Tech Times.

And like their Samsung Galaxy Gear Neo and Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatches as described in my blog article entitled “Samsung launches improved Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 and Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 Neo at MWC - Launch pad for Tizen OS and the Samsung Galaxy Glass coming at IFA 2014”, it may also be running Tizen OS.

Google Glass vs Galaxy Glass – Google trying to avoid Samsung stealing their Thunder to replace the smartphone

So apparently, either the demand for the product was so awesome that Google felt rather than wait till 2015 for the customer-friendly prêt-a-porter designs made by Luxottica as described in my blog article entitled “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” they’d instead launch early to the public.

Or……or…..it may be more than just awesome; it’s more really about pre-empting their arch-nemesis and potential sole largest competitor in Wearable Computing Technology, Samsung. Samsung is the current king of Wearables with a 61% Global marketshare according to Strategy Analytics as stated in my blog article entitled “Samsung Galaxy Gear is king of the 61% Strong Android hold on Smartwatches”.

If you remember, Samsung has plans to launch a Samsung Galaxy Glass product at the IFA 2014 in Germany on September 2014, 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, not wanting Samsung to steal their thunder, by launching to the public now is whetting the appetites of its followers for the finished product come 2015 which may be the first Glasses smartphone….assuming that Samsung doesn’t beat them first with a Samsung Galaxy Glass product running Tizen OS.

Google Glass has already caught the interest of Doctors at Beth Israel Hospital, who like the POV (Point of View) capabilities of Google Glass and its ability to access information on patients and surgical procedures via Voice commands. They are the first in the world to so use the Google Glass as part of their Surgical procedures.

The US Army like it too, having decided that Google Glass is worth modifying to provide tactical information to troops in the field as stated in my blog article entitled “US Air Force testing the use of Google Glass in Combat - Helping Professionals on the Front Lines of their respective fields”.

So even pre-2015 public launch, Google already has some solid Customer’s lined up! Hence their worry about competition from Samsung seems odd, given that the above-mentioned groups can give them solid contracts to mass-produce customized Google Glass for them.

Facebook and Oculus Rift – VR News the Dark Horse for Google in the Year of the Sheep

They may have more than Samsung to worry about: Facebook and Oculus Rift. Albeit late to the party, Big Blue might give them a run for their money with a similar product coming out by December 2014 as predicted in my blog article entitled “Facebook buys Oculus Rift for US$2 billion - Facebook Social Virtual Reality Future as Smartwatches and smartglasses herald the death of the smartphone in 2015” and my Geezam blog article entitled “Pew Research posits 3 in 10 get their News via Facebook as Paper set to go live”

The premise is quite simple; Facebook, literally sitting on your Face as a pair of glasses synched to a Facebook OS smartwatch with LBS Features as predicted in my blog article entitled “Facebook launches Nearby Friends feature - WhatsApp VoIP and Oculus Rift VR Wearable Computing Takes flight as FB look towards the Future in the Year of the Horse” may be the real enemy.

This assumption made albeit NO such product as I’m predicting is yet to be announced by Big Blue. However, unlike Samsung, they would have enough content – their Social Network Facebook – to leverage that would make many adults want a matching pair of smartglasses and smartwatches, even if it was to get up-to-date News as stated in my blog article entitled “Facebook launches FB Newswire with Verified News from Storyful - Facebook's a bonafide Social Media Newspaper coming soon to a Oculus Rift Smartglasses near you”,

So is the Google Glass sale a pre-emptive strike against Samsung Galaxy Glass Product or Facebook’s Oculus Rift powered AR (Augmented Reality)/VR (Virtual Reality) Glass, neither of which exist yet but are STRONG possibilities by 2015? And is Google’s real enemy Facebook and not Samsung?

Stay tuned to my blog for more on this story as it develops! You can also check out the latest announcements on Google Glass on their Google Glass Google+ Page and Google Glass YouTube Channel.