Google Glass is one of the most futuristic gadgets out there, but you can’t have one. Mostly because it’s not on sale to the general public and even during the one day that it was, it cost a whopping $1,500.But how much does it cost to make Glass? About 5% of the sales price say analysts at Teardown.com. Catwig took Google Glass apart last year, but this is the first estimate of the bill of materials.
To be fair, Google has been perfectly clear about Google Glass being a developer device, not a consumer one. Also, R&D costs surely dwarf the bill of materials and additional costs.
The good news is that the bill of materials is estimated at $80. The most interesting item – the display – costs around $5 total. Last year China Post estimated the cost at $30, but either way the actual consumer version of Glass shouldn’t cost much to produce and should be quite affordable (certainly not in the thousand dollar range).
However, a Google spokesperson has called the $80 estimate “absolutely wrong.” Teardown.com themselves admit the estimate is off (but not by much) and are working to update it.
Of course, judging by how quickly Glass sold out, Google has ordered just several thousand units. If it goes full scale production, the parts cost should go even lower.
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