Google's AI-powered Android XR smart glasses could be a game-changer — here's how

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Android XR glasses
(Image credit: Google)

During Google I/O, the company detailed its vision (pardon the pun) for truly “smart” smart glasses driven by Android XR and Google Gemini.

As Google explained, Gemini on these devices can act as an assistant (or guide) that shares your vantage point and can help you when you start talking. Since you don’t have to press buttons on the glasses or pull out your smartphone, you won’t have to stop whatever you're doing, whether it’s in the real or virtual world.

These smart glasses will have a camera, microphones and speakers, and work in tandem with your phone to give you hands-free access to apps. The device’s optional in-lens display delivers information that only you can see. Thanks to Google Gemini, the glasses can better understand what you’re seeing and hearing and deliver contextual information.

During Google I/O, we got to see how these Android XR/Gemini glasses can work in real-world scenarios. This includes texting friends, making appointments, asking for turn-by-turn directions, taking photos and more. The most impressive thing was a live demo of live language translation between two people. This could be a game-changer for those who frequently travel to other countries or live in multicultural cities.

These smart glasses aren’t available yet, but Google says it’s working with several brands and partners to bring them to life. This includes eyewear brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to create stylish glasses. Google is also advancing its partnership with Samsung to create a software and reference hardware platform for developers to build on.

Right now, Google says it’s gathering feedback on its prototypes with testers. We don’t know when these Android XR glasses will see the light of day, but Google says to stay tuned for updates. Of course, we’ll bring you those updates when they happen.

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Tony Polanco
Tony Polanco
Senior Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.

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