Insider Finance - Business - Insider Today: Google's headache

“No more half measures.”

The phrase, popularized by the show “Breaking Bad,” is a nod toward problems arising when one doesn’t commit to a plan or strategy. 

It’s also useful advice for Google regarding its augmented-reality business. 

The tech giant has struggled to gain momentum in the mixed-reality sector despite numerous efforts, Insider’s Hugh Langley reports.

From Iris to Alius to Betty, Google’s code-named AR projects rival a millennial parent’s baby-name list. But the projects have been just that: projects. 

Google has failed to turn any into a viable business yet, thanks largely to constant pivots and strategy tweaks, which eventually led to a talent exodus, Hugh reports.

To make matters worse, the chaos in Google’s AR division comes as one of its biggest rivals — Apple — has generated buzz for its mixed-reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro. 

But the problems Google faces with AR are a symptom of a larger issue for the tech giant: its inability to be a hardware power player. 

For all its strengths in search and software, Google's commitment to hardware has been unconvincing. Phones, wearables, and other devices made by Google comprise a fraction of its overall business.

But in the world of AR, hardware is the most critical piece of the puzzle. Factors like the weight of the headset or its battery life have always been considered vital for widespread adoption. 

Google’s AR missteps could indicate the company’s lack of experience in hardware development. Rapidly changing and evolving is typically embraced in software development, but that’s not true for hardware, which requires a longer-term commitment. 

For the time being, Google seems happy to somewhat punt on its AR aspirations. Instead, it’s focused on developing software for other companies to use on their AR projects, including longtime partner Samsung. It’s a familiar playbook, as Google found success with the Android operating system for mobile phones to rival Apple’s iOS. 

But that strategy is a gamble, as one former employee pointed out to Hugh. A hardware partner could develop its own software, leaving Google to fend for itself. 

Of course, the tech giant might argue it has bigger fish to fry. Google is amid a heated arms race with its chatbot Bard. 

However, with some of its biggest rivals — Apple and Meta — pushing deeper into AR, it raises the question: Could Google be setting itself up for disaster by not addressing its hardware weakness sooner? 

Before the opening bell: US stock futures are rising Wednesday ahead of Nvidia’s earnings, after finishing mixed on Tuesday following a brief tech-led rally.

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