After many months of speculation, Google finally showed off its still-early-day Android XR smart glasses prototype. It was an impressive live demo, with a live translation portion that went off well but not without hitches. Still, it got the crowd at Google I/O going, and right after that opening keynote wrapped, I strolled around the Shoreline Amphitheater to find a pair to try.
Much like my time with Project Moohan, the prototype Android XR headset that Google and Samsung are working on, I only spent about five minutes with these prototype glasses. And no, it wasn’t a sleek frame made by Warby Parker or a wild one from Gentle Monster – instead, it was the pair Google demoed on-stage, the prototype Android XR glasses made by Samsung.
As you can see above, much like Meta Ray-Bans and unlike Snapchat Spectacles (the first gen), these prototypes look like standard black frames. However, the left and right stems are a bit thicker, and plenty of tech is packed under the hood.
The tech here is mostly hidden – there is a screen baked into the lens, which, when worn and active, will appear in your field of view, displaying a range of things. When I first turned the glasses on, I saw the time and the weather hovering at the top of my field of vision in a small bar.
When I pressed the button on the right stem to capture a photo, the capture almost flashed transparently larger in my field of vision. It's a neat way of seeing what you just captured, and a quick check to see if you need to shoot again.
During the keynote, Google also shared that the screens could be used for messaging, calls, and translations, but I didn’t get to try those. While I couldn’t ask for directions myself, a Google rep was able to trigger the navigation experience on the glasses. This was far from a full demo, but this feature has me more excited about smart glasses with a screen built in.
Why? Well, it was that this navigation experience doesn’t get in the way of my field of view – I can simply still look straight forward and see at the top that in 500 feet or 50 feet, I need to make a right onto a specific avenue. I don’t need to look down at my phone or glance at my wrist; it’s all housed in just one device.
If I need more details or want to see my route, I could glance down for a mini version of the map, which moved as I moved my head. If I wore these in NYC, I could walk normally and glance at the top to see directions, but when safely stopped and not in the way of others, I could look down to see my full route. That’s pretty neat to me.
The projected screen itself had good-enough quality, though I’m not sure how it performs in direct sunlight, as I tested these in a little room that Google had constructed.
It’s important to remember that this is still a prototype – Google has several brands onboard to produce these, but there isn’t an exact timeframe for a release. However, developers will be able to start creating apps and testing them by the end of the year.
The Project Moohan headset, which also runs Android XR, will arrive this year. Samsung will ship the headset in a to-be-revealed final version, which could help build third-party support and let Google get more feedback on the platform.
Gemini, Google’s very wise AI assistant, blew me away on Project Moohan and was equally compelling on the Android XR glasses. I asked it for the weather, and it responded with a forecast for a few days. I had it analyze a replica of a painting, and even look at a book, tell me the reviews, and where I could purchase it.
That power of having Gemini in my glasses has me really excited about the category's future – it’s the audio responses, the connection to the Google ecosystem, and how it plays with the onboard screen that all come together.
It remains to be seen how Samsung’s final design might look, but it will likely sit alongside several other Android XR-powered smart glasses from Warby Parker, X-Real, and Gentle Monster, among others.
I’ve long worn Meta Ray-Bans and enjoy those for snapping unique shots or recording POVs like walking my dog Rosie or riding an attraction at a Disney Park. Similarly, I really enjoyed the original version of the Snapchat Spectacles, but the appeal wore off. Both only had a shorter – or, in the case of the Spectacles, very short – list of functions, but Android XR as a platform feels a heck of a lot more powerful, even from a short five-minute demo.
While the design didn’t sell me on Samsung’s prototype, I have high hopes for the Warby Parker ones. Seeing how Gemini’s smarts can fit into such a small frame and how a screen can be genuinely helpful but not overly distracting really has me excited. I have a feeling not all of the Android XR glasses will appeal to everyone, but with enough entries, I’m sure one of them will pair form with function in a correct balance.
Gemini in glasses feels less like the future, and considering this new entry, my eyes are set to see what Meta's does next and what Apple's much-rumored entry into the world of smart glasses will look like.
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