Google Glass Users Get Trade-In Scheme

The search engine giant is seeking to make its Google Glass wearable computing device a little bit easier to buy and use.

Existing Google Glass owners can now invite their friends to share in the fun.

Trade-In Scheme

That’s the idea behind a new Glass program that will allow existing users to invite up to three friends to buy their own eyewear-mounted computers now, before they go on sale to the general public sometime later this year.

The invite-a-friend program is being viewed by Google as a way to expand its Glass Explorer Program, which is the name used for the first test users of the innovative devices, according to an 28 October post by the Glass team on its Google+ page.

“So over the next few weeks, all Explorers will have the opportunity to invite three friends to join the program,” the post read. “They’ll be able to buy Glass online and can have it shipped to their home, office, treehouse or igloo. We’re counting on you to get Glass to the people you think will make great Explorers. More Explorers means more feedback, and more feedback means better Glass.”

Existing early Glass users aren’t being left out by the company, however, according to the post. Those users will now have a one-time chance to trade in their existing Glass devices for the latest model, which includes improvements and updates, the post reported.

“We want to say ‘thank you’ for all the amazing feedback we’ve been getting, so later this year, all Explorers will have a one-time option to swap out their existing Glass for a new one,” the post states. “This hardware update will allow your Glass to work with future lines of shades and prescription frames, and we’ll also include a mono earbud.”

The device-swap offer applies to Glass Explorers who purchased their devices before 28 October, 2013, according to Google. “The Explorer Program is designed for people who want to shape the future of Glass. We are always improving the software based on Explorers’ feedback, and this time, we’ve made some improvements to the hardware.”

When the swapping program opens, participants will have 60 days to register for their device exchange if they desire to do so, according to Google. Eligible Glass Explorers will be notified in November about what they have to do if they want to receive a new device. Participants can even exchange their Glass devices if they want a different colour than the ones they originally selected.

Cashing In

Of course, with an offer like this, some Google Glass users have already taken to auction sites like eBay to try to sell their invite-a-friend offers. Buy It Now prices of up to $2,000 (£1,246) or more are posted, as well as more than 60 auctions by sellers, based on a search of eBay on 29 October, and those prices are only for the opportunity to buy Glass for $1,500 (£936) plus taxes and shipping from Google.

Google Glass has been a topic of conversation among techies since news of it first arrived in 2012. The first Google Glass units began shipping in April 2013 to developers who signed up at the June 2012 Google I/O conference to buy an early set for $1,500 (£936) for testing and development, at which it was the hit of the conference. Google also then began shipping Glass units to lucky users who were selected in the #ifihadglass contest for the opportunity to buy their own early versions of Glass.