Smart glasses manufacturer North announced that it is ceasing production of the first generation Focals 1.0 model. The company launched these for consumers last year. The hi-tech gadgets company wants to focus on Focals 2.0 instead. So this will be a new next generation product version that will be launched from 2020.
Focals are North's first product since rebranding the company from Thalmic Labs and transitioning from smart hardware development to glasses with integrated head-up displays and smartphone connectivity. Chairman and founder Stephen Lake shared in a previous interview that while developing its gesture-controlled Myo wristband, his company recognized that there was actually more urgency to develop the next major shift in computing platforms before developing interface devices for those platforms and to start the change.
Focals 2.0 reaches “a completely different level” and will be “the most advanced smart glasses.” This was stated in a press release from Lake in which the company announced the new generation device. As for how exactly it will improve on the original, North isn't sharing much. But it is said that the 2.0 version has made it both lighter and “slimmer”. The model will also have a much sharper and improved built-in display.
North began selling its smart glasses through physical showrooms. These opened their doors for the first time in Brooklyn and Toronto. In addition to a series of pop-up showroom locations that toured North America, in-person try-ons and accessories for the smart glasses were provided. This should be tailored for individual users to properly display the contents of their glasses. More recently, North has also added a Showroom app for iOS devices that includes custom sizing with newer depth-sensing camera hardware for the iPhone.
Technical innovation
Focals, to North's credit, are the first smart glasses hardware that looks relatively inconspicuous. However, the frames are slightly thicker than average on both sides. But that's where the battery, projection and computer components are located. They are similar to Focals' thick acrylic plastic frame. They gained popularity due to the models from Warby Parker and other standard eyewear manufacturers.
With version 2.0, Focals seems to be making even more progress in developing a design. This is closely based on standard glasses. One of the problems some users cited with the first-generation product was a relatively blurry image produced by the built-in projector, which required special calibration to stay in focus, and it seems like they were deal with it too.
However, the Focals successor will still have an uphill battle when it comes to achieving mass appeal. It's unlikely to significantly reduce costs, although any progress it can make on that front will definitely help. And it still requires either that non-glass wearers choose to wear glasses regularly, or that standard glasses wearers are within the allowable prescription range supported by the hardware and are willing to spend a little more for connected glasses features.
The company says the reason it is ceasing production of Focals 1.0 is because the focus is on the 2.0 rollout. However, this is not a good sign that there will be a break in terms of availability between the two generations.Thalmic Labs and now Northhave not had the best track record through their two iterations as a company in developing hardware that has been a success to potential customers by iterating enough to drive significant demand.
