This past February, you probably saw The Verge's hands-on look at Intel's Vaunt smart glasses. Vaunt was the latest project being developed by Intel's New Devices Group, but on Wednesday, April 18, Intel announced that it was shutting down the entire group.
In an email sent to CNBC, Intel gave the following statement –
Intel is continuously working on new technologies and experiences. Not all of these develop into a product we choose to take to market. The Superlight project [Vaunt] is a great example where Intel developed truly differentiated, consumer augmented reality glasses. We are going to take a disciplined approach as we keep inventing and exploring new technologies, which will sometimes require tough choices when market dynamics don't support further investment.
Vaunt was shaping up to be a spiritual successor of sorts to Google Glass, allowing you to see notifications, turn-by-turn directions, and more out of the corner of your eye. Vaunt stood out by packing a lot of useful features into a body that looked remarkably normal even in its early prototype stage, so here's to hoping Intel can further its development in another department later on down the road.
The New Devices Group was created in 2013 by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and it was expanded in 2014 and 2015 when Intel purchased fitness wearable-makers Basis Science and Recon Instruments, respectively. There were around 200 employees working in the New Devices Group, and they could be facing layoffs as a result of this decision.
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