Google confirms acquisition of smart glasses maker North

This story was originally published 2020/06/29
9:39 am PDTJune 29, 2020 and last update 2020/06/30
3:24 pm PDTJune 30, 2020.

Google is acquiring smart glasses maker North Inc., reportedly for a sum of $ 180 million, underpinning its own hardware, wearable technology and “environmental computing” efforts with the acquisition. Google had limited success with its own “Google Glass” smart glasses, although the project continues. The new purchase could also complement Google’s acquisition of Fitbit.

In case you’re unfamiliar, North is a Canada-based company that makes Smart Glasses that project an image into an optional lens. The company previously opened a showroom in Brooklyn, NY in late 2018. Obviously, these glasses don’t have a touchscreen: North’s first-generation smart glasses used a built-in microphone and a ring (just like the touch controls it uses). on one finger) for commands. They could do things like show you notifications and messages as they come in, or help with navigation. For more details, you can view MrMobile’s video review of the first generation product here.

Virtual demo of North’s first generation “Focals”.

Details of the acquisition were originally leaked by the latest weak courtesy of The Globe and Mail. Although the company has not confirmed all the details (such as the final price), Google further confirmed the acquisition today in a blog post released by the vice president. Devices and services senior Rick Osterloh, explaining that North will join Google’s Kitchener-Waterloo team in Canada. North also confirmed the acquisition in its own blog post, explaining that it would be downsizing its existing products and that the previously planned future version will not materialize.

North previously acquired Intel’s smart glasses patents in 2018, propping up its own portfolio. The company has also worked on a “neuromuscular” control system called Myo, and details like that may have attracted Google’s attention more than the company’s more pedestrian smart glasses efforts.

The acquisition occurs when the problems North faced when a company began to accumulate; it failed to materialize a second-generation anticipated product, and last year it laid off nearly 500 employees. The Globe and Mail was told the company may not have sold “many more than 1,000 pairs” of its Focal smart glasses and was close to running out of money.

North reportedly started looking for a buyer earlier this year, apparently drawing Google’s interest.

It remains to be seen how Google plans to use the acquisition. As we mentioned, North’s portfolio is slightly broader than just smart glasses, though Google may consider reinforcing its own patents and efforts only in that space to make it worthwhile now that Google Glass is gaining some traction in business use. However, North has done other work on wearables and hardware, so Google may have other applications in mind. Of course, we are still waiting for the Fitbit acquisition to be approved, so this could just be Google covering your bets.