Just days after it was revealed that Intel would be powering the next version of Google Glass the silicon giant has signed a deal with Luxottica to start making fashionable smartglasses.
Luxottica is the brand behind a host of sunglass giants including RayBan and Oakley, Chanel and Prada, which gives Intel access to some of the biggest brands in eyewear.
Essential reading: Wearable tech has left Google Glass behind
If the story seems familiar, it’s because there's a little bit of history repeating: Luxottica signed a deal with Google to make RayBan branded Google Glass back in April 2014 – an agreement that has yielded precisely zero hardware so far.
In fact back in September the founder of Luxottica, Leonardo Del Vecchio, said he’d be “embarrassed” to wear a pair of tech specs outside a “disco”. Let’s not even start with that.
So despite the relationship with Luxottica and Google not producing fruit, Intel seems hopeful that its own deal will be more effective. Intel has said that it expects the first products to launch in 2015, and CEO Brian Krzanich said Intel and Luxottica both possessed the experience to make new products:
"The growth of wearable technology is creating a new playing field for innovation," said Krzanich. "Through our collaboration with Luxottica Group, we will unite our respective ecosystems and bring together Intel's leading-edge silicon and software technology with Luxottica's design innovation and consumer expertise."
Read this: The top smartwatches
The Luxottica deal is just another element of a frenetic Intel strategy to lead the wearable tech race. Fashion tie-ins seem to be the order of the day, with the Intel MICA with Opening Ceremony and SMS Audio headphones with 50 Cent.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.