Glass Enterprise Edition 2 Launches; Google & Chipmakers Freeze Out Huawei; China Overtakes US in Smart Speakers

Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 is now officially out of the X ‘skunkworks,’ and part of Google AR/VR. 9to5google.com is reporting that it looks about the same as the 1st enterprise edition that came out after the original Explorer Edition was discontinued. Edition 2 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1, which Google says is a ‘significantly more powerful multicore CPU,’ and has a new AI engine. It runs on Android Oreo! Edition 2 has an 8 megapixel cam with 80 degree find of view. The 820mAh battery fast charges via USB-C. It connects over WiFi or Bluetooth 5. It is even available with safety frames for industrial environments. Look for pricing and availability in the next few months. UPDATE: The new version of Google Glass is priced at $999, down from $1,599 for the original version, and like the prior Enterprise Glass option, it is not available directly to consumers.

Google also announced that they are cutting ties with Huawei, after the US tariffs and rules. According to Bloomberg, Huawei, can now only access the pubic version of Google’s Android…they won’t be able to update it or get access to proprietary apps and services like Gmail. Huawei is also cut off from the Google Play Store. Intel, Qualcomm, and Broadcom are also cutting ties with Huawei, as are Micron Technology and Western Digital. Huawei is thought to have about a 3 month supply left of chips from US makers. The company is thought to be developing in-house alternatives to Android and Windows.

Techcrunch.com says the US is no longer the leader in the smart speaker market….China has overtaken that spot. In Q1, Chinese smart speaker shipments grew by 500% and they now hod 51% of the market. Baidu shipped 3.3 million smart speakers, coming in third after Amazon’s 4.6 million and Google’s 3.5 million. Alibabi and Xiaomi each had 3.2 million shipped. Overall, the smart speaker market had triple digit annual growth based on the 1st quarter of this year…specifically at 131%.