Google confirmed today in a blog post that North, the Canadian-based smart glasses maker behind Focals, acquired. The acquisition price was not disclosed, however, early reports suggested it was around $ 180 million.
Founded in 2012, North (ex-Thalmic Labs) set out to create Myo, a gesture-based bracelet. Moving from Myo and rebranding to North in 2018, the company launched Focals, which focused on creating a sleek, understated pair of prescription-friendly smart glasses.
“In recent times, it became clear that aligning with Google would significantly advance our shared vision,” North said in a news brief.
The company says it will reduce support for its 2018 Focals smart glasses, and that Focals 2.0 is effectively canceled.
North appears to be pausing cleanly with its legacy product, Focals 1.0. Starting July 31, 2020, users will not be able to connect or use Focals or access their Northern accounts. The Focals app will also be removed from both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Refunds are offered, as the company says in a FAQ that “[f]Full refunds will be granted for all Focals orders paid for as of June 30, 2020 using the original payment method. “
The acquisition appears to have been a fairly quick deal, as North was talking about Focals 2.0 through March 2020, announcing its possible 2020 shipping date.
This, you can conclude, may mean that Google is preparing to fully integrate IP in some way into its own Google Glass project, which has resurfaced to serve the business sector. You can also rename Focals 2.0 as a Google device for fashion-conscious consumers.
Will Google return to the territory of consumer smart glasses with its latest acquisition? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
