Along with Marina Gorbis, Harper Reed and Bruce Sterling, I had a very interesting encounter with technical evangelist and blogger Robert Scoble. He is (as far as I know) the first person to bring Google Glass to Germany! It was the first time I had the opportunity to try Google Glass(es) myself when I met Robert right after his brilliant and enlightening keynote presentation about “the Era of Context”. I must say that the experience of Google Glass comes very close to the promo-video Google has released a while ago. As a technology enthusiast, I was very excited about Google Glass and the fact that I was one of the first people in Germany to try them on. At this point I have realized that I will buy them as soon as they get on the market. My “geeky” subconscious was just begging for it. But then I caught myself on a thought that many “wannabe-Glassholes” likely had as well : “How much will they cost?”. Will Google Glass be priced at the current level of $1500 or will the price go down? So I asked Robert Scoble… It was a relief to hear Robert’s answer: According to Robert Scoble, Google Glass will be priced around $300-$500 when launched. Let’s hope that he is right.
Acceptable Price For Google Glass
But how much are people actually willing to pay for this brand new piece of wearable technology? Out of pure curiosity we have created a short online survey asking people from all over the world how much they would pay for Google Glass. The survey has received almost 3,500 responses within 3 days. And here are the results: Tweet
Feel free to embed the results of the survey on your own blog or website using the code below: I must say that I am surprised by these results. My expectation was that the majority of people would be ready to pay at least $500 for a pair of Glass(es).
Google Glass Price Prediction
Google Glass Developer Terms confirm that there will be no advertising on Google Glass. This is a pretty big step for Google… So, now what? How will Google make money from Glass? When it comes to the pricing I see three possible scenarios:
Price prediction scenario #1: $499
Google will try to make profit from Glass itself – selling it at a higher price than it costs to produce Glass.
Price prediction scenarion #2: $349
Like with Nexus devices, Google will sell Glass at-cost, pushing people into using Google services. As of now you are required to connect Glass with an Anroid phone to make it work. So, depending on whether Glass will be compatible with the iPhone or not – Google would also push Android and Play Store sales.
Price prediction scenario #3: $199 (unlikely)
I can also imagine Google having a more aggressive sales strategy – selling Glass at a loss, aiming to push Android and Play Store sales. In this scenario Google won’t be adding iPhone support to Glass, making it an additional USP for Android devices. What do you think Google will do? What scenario is most likely to happen? Please share your thoughts in the comments!
