10 Reasons It’s a Bad Idea to Be a Google Glass Early Adopter

By Don Reisinger

Spending $1,500 on a device that has yet to officially launch and prove its value seems like a lot of money, doesn’t it? Google justifies Glass’ price tag by saying that it’s a future-focused technology, but for the same price, one could buy several smartphones, a high-end television or a handful of other wearable devices. It doesn’t make much sense to spend that much on Glass right now.

Google itself says that Glass is still in a beta phase, which means that the kinks are still being worked out. So, the folks buying Google Glass now aren’t getting their hands on a finished, polished product; they’re getting something that will require several updates before it officially launches. Add that to the price tag, and Google Glass seems like a bad buy.

Google has promised third-party applications for Glass, but so far, developers seem content to stick with mobile apps. That doesn’t mean that apps aren’t coming to Google Glass that will take full advantage of the technology, but until that actually happens, Glass appears to be a device that will be underutilized.

While the initial reaction to Google Glass might be one of excitement, one should question how usable the device really is. Google Glass is simply eyewear that can snap photos, take videos and provide directions. There are innumerable products on the market right now that are cheaper, don’t sit on the face and have all of the same features. Google Glass appears to be more a novelty than anything else right now.

Before plunking down $1,500 on Google Glass, consider other wearable devices coming this year that could trump Google Glass. Apple’s iWatch is expected to ship sometime this year, and several other companies, including Sony and Samsung, have already shown off compelling products. Rather than spending so much on a beta product now, why not wait to see what the competition has in store and then make the decision on which product to buy?

Don’t think that this is the last opportunity you’ll have to get into the Google Glass Explorer program. Google has been slowly but surely offering people access to the Explorer program, and it is expected to send more invites along in the coming months before the actual launch of its wearable device. So, if you miss this opportunity, don’t worry—more will be coming along.

Given how small the wearable market is, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the market never takes off. Granted, analysts are saying that wearables will grow into a huge segment of the market eventually, but so far, customers haven’t responded in kind. What’s more, we’ve heard this before about PDAs, netbooks and other seemingly promising technologies that couldn’t quite live up to the hype. Before buying into wearables, see how the market goes and whether it has long-lasting appeal. If the wearables market fizzes out, you’ll be happy you didn’t buy Glass.

From a style perspective, Google Glass isn’t exactly the most beautiful product on the market. Even worse, the company has designed frames for prescription glasses that don’t quite hit all the marks on style. If Glass is going to be successful, it needs to be stylish. If it can’t solve that problem, it won’t succeed.

There are some concerns with privacy with Google Glass. Some customers argue that it’s possible, given all the privacy concerns around the Web, that hackers could eventually find ways to hack into the device through its Web connection and see a person’s life in first-person. Whether those concerns are overblown remains to be seen, but it should be noted.

Some people have been attacked for wearing Google Glass or had the eyewear stolen. Others have gotten police tickets for wearing the technology. The general “culture” hasn’t yet accepted Google Glass. And until it does, it might not be the best idea to buy into the eyewear. After all, what good is wearable technology if you worry or feel self-conscious about wearing it?