Photo: Google
Google is stepping up its smart glasses game with a focus on style, announcing partnerships with eyewear giants Warby Parker and Gentle Monster for its Android XR platform. The move revealed at the company's I/O developer conference signals a clear strategy to create smart glasses that consumers will actually want to wear, echoing the approach taken by Meta with its successful Ray-Ban smart glasses.
The collaborations highlight Google's commitment to aesthetics this time around. Warby Parker, known for its trendy and accessible eyewear, suggests a focus on versatile, everyday designs. Meanwhile, the partnership with Gentle Monster, a popular Korean brand favoured by celebrities and Gen Z for its bold and edgy styles, indicates that Android XR will also cater to more fashion-forward consumers.
Beyond style, Google is also strengthening its hardware partnerships. Shahram Izadi, Google's VP of XR, announced an expanded collaboration with Samsung to include glasses, moving beyond their existing work on headsets. Additionally, the first Android XR-enabled glasses will be produced by Xreal under the "Project Aura" moniker.
Functionality-wise, Google emphasized the integration of its Gemini AI assistant into these XR glasses. Prototype demonstrations have showcased features like taking photos, receiving turn-by-turn directions, and real-time language translation, leveraging the glasses' cameras, microphones, and speakers. This aligns with previous previews of the Android XR capabilities.