Google announced on Thursday that the Glass project was graduating from the company’s research division, called Google X, and would operate as a stand-alone division within Google. The company also said that, as of Monday, it would end its Explorer program, which was a test version of Glass that cost $1,500 in its Play Store, and which was geared toward software developers and device aficionados.
This means, in essence, that regular people will no longer be able to buy Google Glass. The company will still have its Glass at Work program –- a pilot initiative to use the device in areas like hospitals and factories –- and the device will be available to “certified partners” who are developing software for it.
“After nearly two years, and an incredible amount of useful feedback about what works and what needs to be better, we’re closing the program so we can focus on future versions of Glass,” Google said in a statement.