Tech giant Google re-enters the smart glasses market - Tech Giant Puts Faith in New Wearable Tech: Smart Spectacles Revisited by Google
Google Reboots Smart Glasses Venture with AI-Integrated Devices
In an attempt to regain its footing in the smart glasses market, Google has unveiled a new prototype of AI-integrated glasses at the I/O 2025 developer conference and a TED presentation in Vancouver. The company's earlier foray into the market with Google Glass did not find success in the mass market. This time, Google is partnering with technology giant Samsung, aiming to challenge rivals Meta and Ray-Ban.
The new Google glasses are underpinned by the Android XR operating system and the AI Gemini 2.0. These glasses can mirroring the wearer's view, offering voice assistance, real-time language translation, and more. These functionalities, however, are facilitated via pairing with a smartphone instead of being housed within the glasses themselves. The glasses sport a simple design, bearing resemblance to traditional models, housing a microdisplay, camera, microphones, and speakers.
With the integration of Gemini, users can access a variety of AI-supported features. The glasses can identify objects, provide real-time translation, and contextualize location information. The standout feature, "Memory," allows visual information to be stored and displayed as needed, such as locating misplaced items. Google aims to foster an intuitive and context-aware interaction by displaying relevant information, like messages, appointments, or navigation instructions, directly in the user's field of view, on-demand. The AI-based control is facilitated through voice input, allowing users to access digital services without having to actively operate displays or touchscreens.
Android XR is a new operating system established in collaboration with Samsung and Qualcomm. It serves as the technical foundation for Google's AR and XR strategy (Augmented Reality and Extended Reality). Apart from the smart glasses, a mixed-reality headset codenamed "Project Moohan" is also in development on this platform. Google hopes to create a unified and open foundation for the next generation of wearable devices featuring extended reality features with the Android XR initiative.
Google emphasizes its commitment to prioritizing data privacy and user control while developing the new smart glasses. There is currently no information available concerning the market launch or pricing. The rollout is expected to occur gradually, starting with controlled tests initially. There are speculations that these glasses may join the Pixel family, perhaps as "Pixel Glasses," set to launch alongside the Pixel 10 this fall.
Although not mentioned in the original text, Google has reportedly collaborated with eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to offer stylish alternatives to Meta's Ray-Ban line, aiming to appeal to a broad spectrum of personal tastes and styles. Google has also invested significantly in this partnership, with up to $150 million set aside for product development and commercialization, and up to $75 million in equity investment in Warby Parker. The inclusion of in-lens displays in Google's glasses offers an edge over Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, as they lack such displays, making Google's glasses more suitable for AR and AI-based tasks.
I'm not going to be able to afford these smart-home devices or gadgets anytime soon, given the high-tech nature of the technology involved, such as the AI-integrated Google glasses and the upcoming Android XR-powered AR and XR devices. Despite Google's efforts to collaborate with eyewear brands like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to create stylish alternatives, the prices of these cutting-edge devices remain unknown, making them a distant dream for my budget.
