Google Glass Price Rumors: Glass May Cost Less Than $300 Compared To $1500 Explorer Version

Google Glass may have just got more affordable after new price rumors have stated that the newest Google Glass could retail for as low as $300. The alleged price drop may push consumers to investing in the device when it is officially released to the public. Developers paid a whopping $1,500 for their early released versions, but with a significant price drop, reported by the China Post, $299 dollars seems like a bargain.

Jason Tsai, a researcher at the Topology Research Center, reported that he expected the consumer version of the Google Glass to retail at $299 during a seminar on wearable devices. But is the price tag still worth it for the wearable device?

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Google's overall vision with Google Glass was to create a device that allowed people to have everything in one place, but let's take into account that it is not a full replacement for the smartphone, and its serves as more of an accessory gadget. According to iDigitalTimes, the specs of Google Glass are rumored to be a 5-MP camera, 720p video, 12GB of memory and Wi-Fi connectivity, and while they are impressive, we aren't sure that a shoot ready camera is worth $299.

According to Tsai, the individual components of Google Glass have proved to be inexpensive. "The device's display component, which will probably be supplied by Taiwan-based Himax Display Inc., will cost between US$30 and US$35 and will account for the biggest share of the total cost in the near term." He went on to say, "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."

If we consider the possibility of the wearable device market, maybe the price of Google Glass will decrease even further before its retail release. Topology Research published projections of the upcoming wearable device growth, the market "will grow from US$1.2 billion in 2011 to US$18.3 billion in 2018. Research firm IHS Inc. forecast that shipments of smart glasses might increase by 150 percent to 124,000 units this year, driven mostly by sales to developers. The global market for smart glasses could amount to almost 10 million units from 2012 to 2016."

If the device does drop to retail for a price of even less than $299, that would open up sales for a wider range of consumers. The strongest appeal of Google Glass is the camera element and its wearability, for an accessory a price tag of $150 to $199 the device may be worth investing in.

Would you purchase Google Glass for a reduced price? Comment below and let us know!

Follow Donovan Longo on Twitter.

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