It's official: Google is finally ending support for Google Glass.
Google has revealed its final update for Google Glass Explorer Edition, which is the consumer version of Glass that was first announced in 2012 (via Android Police). Google says that Glass Enterprise Edition models are not affected.
This update removes the need and ability to use your Google account on Glass and disables the device's connection to backend services. After updating, you'll still be able to pair Glass to your phone and capture photos and videos as well as use any sideloaded apps. Mirror apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Hangouts will stop working, though, and the MyGlass app will lose its functionality. You will still be able to pair your phone to Glass using Bluetooth if you need to.
If you've got some Google Glass laying around, you can install this update by downloading a signed image file, unzipping it, and then running some ADB commands.
When Google Glass was first announced, it was a pretty different product than everything else in the young wearables market. With a small transparent display right in front of your eye, you could get all your notifications, search Google, send messages, and more.
Glass also has a camera that you can use for capturing photos and videos, but that turned out to be a major hurdle for the device as there were a lot of folks concerned that a Glass wearer could film them. The $1,500 price tag probably didn't help, either. Glass never really gained much traction even in its "Explorer" phase, and since then Google has pivoted to focusing on the enterprise market with it.
Did you ever try Google Glass?
