With the final stretch of 2013 staring us straight in the eyes, there’s been a lot of speculation lately about when Google will start selling Google Glass to the public, where it’ll be sold and how much it’ll cost.
Google’s Chris Dale, part of the Google Glass communications team, put at least some of the speculation to rest today on Twitter. He didn’t reveal how much Glass will cost or how Google will sell it; but he did say where it won’t be sold and what it won’t cost.
Google Glass not coming to Best Buy in 2014… oh, and it won’t be $299 either. #factcheck — Chris Dale (@cadale) August 23, 2013
That tweet is partly in response to a rumor that Robert Scoble spread earlier this week, where he said that a “source” had told him that Google would be leasing 6,000 square feet of space in Best Buy stores next year to sell Glass to the public. That’s a hefty amount of retail real estate, but with both Apple and Samsung already having mini-stores inside Best Buy stores, the idea seemed (and still seems) to make sense, even if Google is debunking it.
As for the Glass price tag, reports started spreading about two weeks ago that Glass would retail for $299 when it launches. Dale’s tweet obviously refutes those reports.
As far as when Glass will be sold, Dale’s tweet didn’t address that, but much has been made this week about Glass being “pushed back” to 2014. That’s not actually news. The official Google FAQ for Glass has always said that only Explorers will get Glass this year, and “broader availability” won’t happen until next year. I suspect some of the confusion stems from Google recently saying that the consumer launch is “many months” away.
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