At Google I/O 2025, the company gave us a sneak peek into how Android XR will power their upcoming smart glasses, packed with handy Gemini features that might finally convince me to wear a pair all the time.
This year’s Google I/O, much like the past few, was all about AI and how it’s being woven into Google’s products. One of the stars of the show was Android XR, the company’s extended reality system that’s bringing new life to headsets and smart glasses.
Android XR first showed up last December, but back then, Google mostly talked about the software experience for XR and VR headsets. They even demoed some cool spatial computing features on a headset they’re working on with Samsung and Qualcomm, called Project Moohan. We’ll likely hear more about that later this year.
This week at I/O, Google turned its attention to Android XR glasses—everyday wearables that use cameras, microphones, and speakers to understand what you’re seeing and help out with Gemini. Big tech names like Meta and Apple are chasing the same idea, but Google might have a leg up here. We’ve already seen how Gemini works in a multimodal way, like with Gemini Live, which can interact as if it’s seeing the world through your phone camera.
With Android XR and a display built into the lenses, Google showed how these glasses can guide you through city streets with directions, kind of like a heads-up display in some cars. You’ll also be able to see incoming text messages and reply, translate conversations on the spot, or snap photos with voice commands—no need to dig your phone out of your pocket.
Google explained that these glasses will work closely with your phone, either tethered or paired wirelessly, to sync things like contacts, messages, and notifications. This setup helps keep the glasses lightweight by letting your phone handle most of the heavy computing work.
To make these glasses appeal to more people, Google is teaming up with stylish eyewear brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. It’s a smart move, similar to how Meta works with EssilorLuxottica to create the popular Ray-Ban smart glasses.
As for when we can get our hands on these Android XR glasses, Google says they’ll be out later this year. I’m definitely curious to see how they turn out—what about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
