Google has been teasing its Android XR-powered smart glasses for the past year and a half—ever since it first announced the new mixed reality platform in December of 2024. Now, we’re finally starting to see more polished versions of the hardware, several of which will actually go on sale this fall.
At Google I/O, the company gave us a first look at the designs of smart glasses coming from established eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. These smart glasses are codeveloped by Samsung and Google, while the eyeglass companies handle the design of the frames.
Xreal also took the stage at I/O to showcase its upcoming Project Aura, which is essentially a miniaturized glasses version of bulky headsets like the Apple Vision Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy XR—powering a full Android app interface with hand gestures for interaction.
Audio-only smart glasses from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster will launch later this year. More complex versions with displays built into the lenses will arrive soon after. Xreal’s Project Aura will also come this fall.
I got a chance to wear some early versions of these frames and try out a few features in a controlled demo experience.
Smarter Glasses
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu/WIRED
I wasn’t able to see the final polished designs from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Instead, my demos were on unfinished reference glasses from Samsung and Google. The most remarkable thing about them is how light they are. Google says much of the work it and Samsung have done was to miniaturize the technology to save weight. The arms of the glasses are still a little chunky, though.
Audio quality was equally impressive. As soon as I asked Gemini to play some Radiohead, the audio surrounded my head and sounded dynamic, though I was in a quiet room. I asked someone else to try them so I could see if I could hear it at 50 percent volume while sitting across from them. I could barely hear the music.
The audio-only glasses will be the first to arrive later this year. And yes, all of these upcoming smart glasses—even the audio-only ones—have cameras. That’s how the Gemini assistant can see what you’re seeing to provide helpful, contextual answers and services. The versions with more advanced optics will provide a richer experience. For example, if someone talks to you in a different language, the Gemini assistant inside all of the glasses can translate their voice and even make it sound like the person speaking, but the display versions of the glasses will offer accompanying text to read as well.
