Google's $1,500 early-adopter version of its head-worn display, sold through the Explorer program from 2013 until January 2015, with a small prism screen, camera, voice control and bone-conduction audio. Google ended Explorer sales in 2015 and cut its cloud services in February 2020, leaving owners with only basic photo, video, Bluetooth and sideloaded-app functions.
This entry is written from the 5 sources listed at the bottom of the page. The numbers are our editorial estimates drawn from that material, not measurements, and no statistical sample sits behind them.
The pattern in the sources is regret. Only 14% of owners say they would buy it again, and satisfaction falls from 8.5 to 1.5 out of 10 by the two-year mark.
Once the novelty wore off, early Explorers went from excited to underwhelmed, citing short battery life, few apps and social stigma alongside the handy hands-free camera, calls and navigation. Google then ended consumer sales in January 2015 and cut Google account and app support in February 2020, leaving a $1,500 device with little more than photos, video, Bluetooth and sideloaded apps.
Google ended consumer sales in January 2015, about two years after shipping. Gmail, YouTube, Hangouts and the MyGlass app stopped working in February 2020. Early testers went from excited to underwhelmed by its everyday usefulness.
It is a real product that works, but its launch reception (96 out of 100 for hype) ran well ahead of how owners feel about it later. Google ended consumer sales in January 2015, about two years after shipping. That gap is what the regret score measures.
Worth it for: Wearable-tech collectors; Developers tinkering with sideloaded apps. Think twice if: Anyone wanting everyday smart glasses; Buyers expecting app and cloud support; Privacy-sensitive social settings.
Our reading of how sentiment moves across an ownership period, drawn from the sources below. It is an editorial estimate, not tracked longitudinal data.
| At purchase | 8.5 / 10 |
|---|---|
| First week | 7.5 / 10 |
| One month | 6.0 / 10 |
| Six months | 4.5 / 10 |
| One year | 3.5 / 10 |
| Two years or more | 1.5 / 10 |
Owner reviews move this score. The researched figure stays visible next to it, so you can always see what the sources said before anyone voted.
Leave a review on the live pageEvery complaint and every piece of praise above traces back to these. The summaries are ours; nothing is quoted, and no link, quote or username anywhere on this site is invented.
2012 report: the Explorer Edition cost $1,500, preorders were limited to US Google I/O attendees, and shipping was set for 2013.
Nov 2013 review: light design, good camera and accurate voice recognition, but battery died after 4h40m and it needs better apps and a lower price.
Aug 2014 review: comfortable at 43g with reliable voice control, good for navigation and calls, but low-res display, mediocre camera, about six hours of battery and seriously overpriced.
Jan 2015: Google ended Explorer sales on January 19; early testers had gone from excited to underwhelmed and camera privacy concerns made wearers unpopular.
Dec 2019: a manual final update removed Google account sign-in; Gmail, YouTube, Hangouts and MyGlass stopped working after February 25, 2020, leaving Bluetooth, photos, video and sideloading.