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Briefing

North drops the price of its Focals smart glasses by nearly half

The Waterloo-based startup is dropping the price from about $1330 to $799 after less than a month on the market, citing manufacturing efficiencies and customer feedback. Refunds will be offered to people who already bought. (The Verge, MobileSyrup)

Briefing

North drops the price of its Focals smart glasses by nearly half

By Zane Schwartz
Feb 15, 2019
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The Waterloo-based startup is dropping the price from about $1330 to $799 after less than a month on the market, citing manufacturing efficiencies and customer feedback. Refunds will be offered to people who already bought. (The Verge, MobileSyrup)

Talking point: North appears to have overestimated how much people were willing to pay for its glasses. Part of the problem is they can’t actually be purchased online, but need to be fitted at one of only two physical locations in Toronto and Brooklyn. The company is working to reach more customers, though, with a pop-up tour scheduled for Seattle and San Francisco over the next few weeks. North co-founder Stephen Lake tweeted Friday afternoon that the Seattle spots had already filled up. It is now also offering prescription lenses at a $200 markup, opening up a significant new market for the company.

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