14 DAY TRIAL // Google may want it to have full control and recognition for the Glass augmented reality headset, but the fact remains that it needs other to make the hardware.
In the case of the lens, it needed a display technology that is capable of producing a good resolution even in that small form factor.
The display would also need to be transparent and capable of operating on very little energy.
Thus, Google has chosen to enlist Samsung. The South Korean company will make the lenses out of OLED, at least for the consumer version of Glass.
According to Korea Times, this means Google is sharing confidential info with Samsung on future projects.
Google presumably still has reservations about this deal, as Samsung has shown a rather dominant attitude in the Android ecosystem, insisting that its brands supersede Google's in many cases. Granted, that isn't likely to happen to Glass, which is probably why the pact got through.