How Much Did Google Glass Cost in 2013?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The Google Glass price was $1,500 when the first pairs were delivered on April 16, 2013. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $2,174 in September 2026 money, roughly 1.4 times the original price.
Think you know where it came from? Test yourself before you read on: play this question in Price Time Machine.
Play this question: where was it from, and what did it cost? →
Google Glass (Explorer Edition) at a glance
- US launch price
- $1,500
- In today’s money
- ≈ $2,174April 2013 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- April 16, 2013
- Where the company was based
- Mountain View, United StatesDeveloped by Google X, Google’s research lab, at Google in Mountain View, California.
- Category
- Gaming & tech
- Price source
- en.wikipedia.org
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
What did $1,500 buy?
Google Glass was a pair of smart glasses: a small computer and display worn like spectacles, with a built-in 5-megapixel camera that could also record 720p video. By 2013 it was lighter than an average pair of sunglasses. In mid-2011 an early prototype had weighed 8lb (3.6kg).
The Explorer Edition was a test version. At first only developers at Google’s I/O conference in June 2012 could pre-order it. Then, in February 2013, people could apply by posting what they would do with it using #IfIHadGlass. The 8,000 people picked, called “Glass Explorers”, had to visit a Google pop-up shop in Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco to collect it.
The Google Glass price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 2013. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original Google Glass price of $1,500 works out at about $2,174 in September 2026 money, around 1.4 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the Google Glass sells for second-hand.
When was Google Glass released?
- Announced: April 2012
- Pre-orders at Google I/O: June 27, 2012
- First pairs delivered: April 16, 2013
- Briefly on general sale in the US: April 15, 2014, when it sold out in a day
- Explorer programme ended: January 15, 2015
Who made Google Glass?
It was developed by Google X, Google’s research lab for big new technology such as driverless cars, at Google in Mountain View, California. Google co-founder Sergey Brin wore a prototype to a charity event in San Francisco on April 5, 2012.
Why did Google stop selling Glass?
Glass faced a backlash over its price and over privacy, because people worried about being filmed by its camera without knowing. Google stopped making the Explorer version in January 2015. Later Enterprise Editions for businesses carried on until their sales were suspended on March 15, 2023.
Google Glass facts you might not know
- At Google I/O in 2012, skydivers wearing Glass jumped from an airship and landed on the roof of the Moscone Center, where the conference was being held.
- From January 2014 you could add prescription frames for an extra $225.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Google Glass cost?
The Google Glass Explorer Edition cost $1,500. The first pairs were delivered on April 16, 2013.
How much is $1,500 from 2013 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, Google Glass’s $1,500 price is about $2,174 in September 2026 money.
Why did Google Glass fail?
It faced a backlash over its price and over privacy concerns about its built-in camera. Google ended the Explorer programme in January 2015.
Can you still buy Google Glass?
No. Google suspended sales of the last version, Glass Enterprise Edition, on March 15, 2023.
Want to compare the Google Glass price with other launch prices? See what the Citroën DS cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play this question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.
Play the Google Glass question →