Google Shows Off Android XR Smart Glasses With In-Lens Display - MacRumors
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Google Shows Off Android XR Smart Glasses With In-Lens Display

Google today showed off a set of lightweight smart glasses that have deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display that can offer up relevant information like turn-by-turn directions.

google smart glasses
Made to rival the Meta Ray-Bans and smart glasses coming from Apple in the future, Google's XR glasses feature a camera, microphones, and speakers. They connect to a smartphone for app access, and with Gemini integration, the glasses can answer questions about the wearer's surroundings, provide directions, and offer up live translations.

Gemini is able to use the cameras in the glasses to see what's around the wearer to provide feedback, and Google says the glasses will "see and hear what you do" so they'll understand context and "help you throughout your day." On stage at Google I/O, Google executives demonstrated how the Android XR glasses will be able to send messages to friends, make appointments, snap photos, and translate conversations in real-time.

Google plans to work with companies like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to create stylish smart glasses that consumers will want to wear.

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Top Rated Comments

13 months ago
This is what AVP should've been. Smartglasses offer a better convergence of tech and personal style than Apple's mixed reality headgear.

My Meta Ray Bans should arrive today and already can't wait to upgrade to Google XR next year.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dj64Mk7 Avatar
13 months ago
I realize the demo today was just a prototype, but watching it live, my mind was absolutely blown.

This is very clearly the XR form factor for everyday use, and it made me extremely giddy to hear that the presenter was using prescription lenses, since the prescription lens options for the Vision Pro stop short of my particular script, which automatically made it a dead in the water product for me.

Overall though, super impressive demo, even if very rough. Actually, I strongly appreciate that the mishaps occurred, because it proved that the demos were in fact live, and it brought a sense of authenticity to the show that Apple sorely needs to adopt again.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
13 months ago

and collect and use the associated data to your benefit, eh, for Google's benefit of course ...
As if the 1B+ global iPhone users don't already use some form of apps or services from Google (Gmail, Gmaps, Drive, Docs, YouTube, Waze, Fitbit, etc.), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, etc.), and Amazon.

The Apple faithful love to parrot Apple's privacy policies, while simultaneously are guilty of using the very products from companies they despise. Let's not forget that Apple accepts Google's money to be the default search engine for Safari on Macs, iPads, and iPhones.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
13 months ago

Google says the glasses will "see and hear what you do"
and collect and use the associated data to your benefit, eh, for Google's benefit of course ...
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
13 months ago

Agree, but it’s good that visionOS will be more mature when it scales to glasses. The demo today was rough.
Agree about the live demo aspect, but fair play to them for trying it and being honest about it being risky with a device still in development.
I give them huge probs for doing it this way.

Put it this way, I'm much rather a company be open, honest, and try and live demo, that the risk of not being perfect that one time everyone is watching.

Than to do what Apple does these days (unlike when Steve Jobs did the same live demo risky thing)
And do what Apple does now, which is to get teams of animators to create a video which fakes when they hope their product might be able to to in the future, as pass that off as an actual demo.

Which is exactly what they get caught out on for doing at last years WWDC when they all knew what they were showing was not real, and they just lied in the hope they would be able to match what they were showing (which they have failed to)

Being honest and failing when trying something risky will always get admiration from me.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
13 months ago
Is it just me or is apple looking further and further behind. Here's hoping for a great WWDC. Fingers crossed.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)