Google Partners with Eyewear Brands to Develop AI-Equipped Smart Glasses
Google announced on Tuesday, May 20, that it plans to revolutionize the smart glasses market with its extended reality (XR) operating system, Android XR, and artificial intelligence (AI) model, Gemini. The tech giant has partnered with prominent eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to create stylish and comfortable smart glasses that can be worn throughout the day.
According to Shahram Izadi, vice president and general manager of Android XR at Google, the integration of Gemini into these glasses represents a “giant leap forward” in the company’s decade-long development of smart glasses. The new glasses will be equipped with a camera, microphone, and speakers, working in tandem with the user’s phone to provide seamless access to various applications without the need to physically hold the device.
The Android XR-equipped smart glasses are designed to offer a range of features, including:
- Private information display through an optional in-lens display
- Contextual understanding by combining AI with visual and auditory tools
- Live language translation
- Assistance with tasks such as messaging, making appointments, asking for directions, and capturing photos
To facilitate the development of these smart glasses, Google has expanded its existing partnership with Samsung to include glasses in addition to headsets. This collaboration aims to create a comprehensive software and reference hardware platform that will enable the ecosystem to produce high-quality glasses.
The emergence of Android XR-equipped smart glasses is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, with other major players like Meta, Amazon, Snap, Baidu, and Xiaomi also investing heavily in smart glasses technology. As Izadi noted, “Developers will be able to start building for this platform later this year,” marking an exciting new chapter in the evolution of wearable technology.
