After 11 Years, Google is Really Returning to the Smart Glasses Battlefield!
Smart Glasses Android XR Make Their Debut
Google held its developer conference I/O on the evening of May 21, Taiwan time, where it shockingly showcased the new product concept “Android XR” smart glasses. The black-framed glasses come equipped with a display screen, photo-taking, messaging functions, and notably integrate the Google AI Assistant, which can quickly understand commands, recognize information in images, and even possess short-term memory.
Google also announced its collaboration with two trendy eyewear brands, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, to develop Android XR glasses.
Android XR smart glasses made their debut at Google I/O 2025.
Image / Google
After experiencing the setbacks of Google Glass, Google has not given up on the smart glasses market. In recent years, it has frequently made moves, launching the “Project Moohan” headset in collaboration with Samsung, and earlier this year announced the acquisition of part of HTC’s XR team for $250 million. Now, by actually presenting the concept device on stage and showcasing its functionalities, Google declares its ambition to return to the smart glasses battlefield.
What Are Android XR Glasses? What Functions Do They Have?
Google demonstrated the “Android XR” glasses concept on-site, featuring a classic black thick-frame design that does not differ much from regular glasses, making them suitable for everyday wear. The lenses have built-in display functions that can show semi-transparent photos, text messages, and other content in front of the user. The device is also equipped with a camera and microphone, supporting functions such as taking photos, listening to music, making phone calls, and voice-controlled messaging.
Android XR smart glasses designed with a simple black frame.
Image / Google
More importantly, the glasses also come with the AI Assistant feature that Google was proud of during the conference, allowing the lens to see the current scene, analyze it in real-time, and provide responses. Google directly demonstrated the effects during the conference, with PM Nishtha Bhatia wearing the glasses and live-streaming what she saw. While walking, she asked the AI assistant who the singer was in a photo wall, requested it to show other photos of the singer, and asked it to find the musician’s music on YouTube, with a response delay of only 1-2 seconds, showcasing the AI assistant’s ability to quickly identify information from the scene.
Google Android XR demo
As the demonstration was concluding, Bhatia asked, “Which coffee shop did I just drink from?” The AI assistant was able to recall the seen scene and respond, demonstrating its short-term memory capability, and then called up the map based on the command, displaying navigation instructions on the glasses’ screen. However, there was a slight mishap during the demonstration when Bhatia and Google AR/XR Vice President Shahram Izadi attempted to communicate in Hindi and Persian on stage, requesting the AI to translate into English subtitles displayed on the glasses. The AI assistant was a bit unresponsive, with delays causing the conversation to falter, and Izadi humorously pointed out, “I told you this is a high-risk demo!” which elicited applause from the audience.
Google Android XR translation feature
Despite some “glitches,” this incident indirectly confirmed the authenticity of the entire demo and showcased the future potential of the glasses through simple functionalities. Google also announced that future XR glasses development will collaborate with two eyewear fashion brands from South Korea and the United States—Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. This partnership follows a similar strategy to the leading market competitors Meta and Ray-Ban, although the targeted brands have distinctly different styles.
South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster is known for its stylish designs.
Image / Gentle Monster Official Website
Ray-Ban’s smart glasses jointly launched with Meta.
Image / Meta
Returning to the Smart Glasses Battlefield! Google Will Compete Against Meta
Izadi opened by stating, “Google has been working in this field for over 10 years.” Although most related products in the past ended in failure, this seems to be a source of pride for Google. Google first launched the groundbreaking product “Google Glass” in 2014, featuring a metallic futuristic design that became a talking point at the time. In 2016, it also released the Daydream VR headset. However, the AR/VR/XR virtual reality topics were too early for the market back then, and both products eventually exited the market due to insufficient applications, portability issues, discomfort for long-term wear, and high prices.
Nevertheless, Google did not cease its research on AR glasses. There have been ongoing rumors that an internal AR glasses project, “Project Iris,” has been quietly progressing, with reports at one point suggesting it might be shelved. It wasn’t until 2024-2025 that Google began making significant partnerships, including collaborating with Samsung to create the “Project Moohan” headset, and earlier this year acquiring part of the HTC VIVE technical team for $250 million. It’s rumored that about one-third of mid-to-senior level engineers transitioned to Google, strengthening its hardware and software development capabilities.
Some members of the HTC VIVE team have transitioned to Google.
Image / HTC Official Website
With Google re-entering the battlefield, its strongest competitor is Meta, which has launched multiple headsets and two smart glasses, holding both hardware and software technology. By directly integrating its signature AI assistant into smart glasses, Google highlights that the true competitive edge in the product matchup may lie in software functionalities.