Skip to main content

Dedicated Google Glass app store coming in 2014

Google Glass

With the year marching on (is it really September already?), it won’t be too long before we see the launch of Google Glass, a product we already feel we know quite a bit about what with an early version being handed out to so-called Explorers for testing and development, as well as the ton of media coverage ever since the Mountain View company announced the project last year.

While a specific launch date is yet to be announced, many observers are looking at the first half of 2014 as a realistic possibility.

Recommended Videos

According to a couple of recent reports, a dedicated Glass app store will be launching with the high-tech Android-powered specs next year, though it’s not currently clear if it’ll be completely separate from the Google Play marketplace or incorporated in some way.  

The New York Times said in a lengthy piece over the weekend that an app store for Glass was on its way – “The company says an app store is coming next year, when Glass is available to the general public” – while a Google spokesperson confirmed to Marketing Land this week that a dedicated app store would arrive in 2014.

“The company declined to share any additional details like if the Glass app store would be part of Google Play or separate, and if developers will be able to charge for apps by the time the store opens,” Marketing Land’s report said.

Boutique?

The recent discovery of a ‘Boutique’ reference in one of Glass’s software updates suggested the name of the dedicated store, though no official word has come from Google up to now.

Considering the company’s gadget is strikingly different to anything that’s gone before in consumer tech, few jaws will be falling to the floor with the news that a dedicated store looks increasingly likely. Few apps for the device exist at the current time, though the collection is steadily building as more and more developers turn their attention to building software for the new face-based computer.

To find out more about the apps already available for Glass, check out DT’s recent report here.

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Apple may do the unthinkable — allow third-party iPhone app stores
App Store displayed on an iPhone 14 Pro against a pink background

Ever since 2008, Apple has only allowed its own App Store on the iPhone. In the past, if you wanted alternative digital storefronts, you’d have to jailbreak your device. But in response to impending regulations from the European Union, Apple may be allowing alternative app stores on the iPhone and iPad in the near future — potentially as soon as iOS 17 in 2023.

According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, this will be the very first time that Apple will allow third-party app stores on the iPhone. It seems that Apple is already dedicating a “significant amount of resources to the companywide endeavor.”

Read more
Don’t listen to billionaires like Elon Musk — app stores are fantastic
App store icon showing three notifications.

It’s time to celebrate the app store. Not just Apple’s App Store, but Google Play too. They are digital toy shops, full of wonders and joy, available to everyone who walks through the virtual door. When you’re inside you feel safe and secure, everything is in place for you to quickly pay for all your new things, so you walk away happy and satisfied.

App stores are the lifeblood of our smartphones, and trust me — you don’t want to know what it would be like without them. But let's imagine it for a moment because there has been a lot of noise over the past few days about app stores being bad places. Don’t listen, because this is only true if you’re a billionaire wanting to become, er, more of a billionaire.
Confidence and convenience

Read more
App subscription fatigue is quickly ruining my smartphone
App Store displayed on an iPhone 14 Pro against a pink background

When I first got an iPhone in 2008, I remember checking out web apps, which were basically websites that I would keep bookmarked on the home screen. Every time I opened them up, they somehow didn’t look like I just launched mobile Safari. Eventually, Apple launched the App Store in July 2008, mostly eliminating the need for antiquated web apps.

Since the App Store opened up, we've gotten to see innovative new apps and games that took our iPhones to a completely new level — showing us what our devices were capable of. I was excited to see and hear about new apps for a variety of things, from task managers to camera replacement apps to photo editors to journals and so much more. Games were also making use of the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope sensors, so it wasn’t just always about touchscreen controls.

Read more