Dust off those virtual reality headsets, folks! Google has just dropped a bombshell at I/O with the announcement that they are back into the XR arena with yet another sleek prototype of smart glasses. After what felt like an eternity of silence on the AR/VR/XR front, the tech titan is roaring with comeback forces and a slew of hardware partners aiming to carve the landscape of mixed reality.
Seconds after the keynote ended, suddenly, I was face-to-face with that elusive prototype from Google. My time was fleeting: it was a brief look into the future; however, one thing was immediately apparent this was not some clunky augmented-reality spectacle of the past. From the vast size of those devices coming from Meta and Snap, the Google device felt as though you were wearing a feather. Forget cyborg visions; this one was nearer to Clark Kent coolness. A little bolder than my usual choice, these frames tried to speak about the hybrid that tech and everyday style will become one day. Just a whisper of the future, this featherlight promise was still hanging on my nose.
Karissa Bell for Engadget
Perhaps the best way to begin a discussion about XR glasses is to note the company’s divergence from Meta and Snap. Abandon the notion of full immersion; Google offers a glanceable experience, one that projects visuals ontojustthe right lens, as shown above. Remember the I/O demo? And there, even going by the suspicions, the narrow FOV really is a limitation. It’s like looking through a keyhole, besides Snap’s already humble 46 degrees. Since Google hasn’t spoken on exact FOV values, believe me, the difference is noticeable.
The display is intended to emulate the cover screen of a foldable phone, giving the opportunity for people to see time, notifications, and trivia from apps-their soundtrack at a glance.
Google’s Gemini is correspondingly expected to lead the Android XR system, and by virtue of which I had the opportunity for a sneak peek. Think of smart glasses in which you see what I see. I gazed upon a virtual bookshelf and then asked Gemini a few questions about it. One moment I was looking at digital art, and by the time it dawned on me what I wanted, Gemini had already fetched the history for me. I felt as if Project Astra had been unleashed so intuitive, seamless, and intoxicating. This is more than an assistant; it is a door to a smarter reality.
And snafus appeared even in a pre-meditated demo. Once Gemini went ahead with a description before I had completed my question. One very awkward beat of silence followed-two people interrupting each other in a comedic dance.
Google Glass is here again, and Maps is just tagging along! Imagine walking down a street with gentle turns given to you via a heads-up display, just like the AR walking directions given by Google, but instead of holding a phone, it is projected onto your vision. Looking down makes your mini-map float about a foot above pavement level. This is futuristic, isn’t it? Well, my demo hit a snag. I asked Gemini how long it would take for her to drive to San Francisco: the response? To be polite, “tool output” is not quite a good word form for navigational brilliance. After that digital hiccup, the demo came to a quick end.
Engadget
The previewing of a capture on Google Glass was, indeed, revolutionary. At last-the uncertainty of smart glass photography could be banned! Allowing the immediate on-screen display right after snapping a picture was, in itself, a stroke of genius. Much unlike my endless frustrating experiences with Ray-Ban Meta glasses, where framing sometimes feels like an outright gamble, Google Glass brought that instant visual feedback. This feedback took a usually awkward and clumsy process and turned it into something intuitive and, dare I say, fun.
The XR vision of Google still remains clouded in mystery with recent prototype demos barely shedding light on it. Forget ready-to-buy; these views felt more like tantalizing glimpses of the potential of Android-XR, especially when dreaming about Gemini-powered smart glasses. The future remains uncharted. However, by the time the smart glasses eventually hit the shelves-from Google or partner agencies-the novel version could be a very different breed from what we’ve witnessed. The only certainty? We’re still early days in the evolution of mixed reality.
Android XR gave us an eyeful of what might be Google’s real vision. Imagine having AI and mixed reality stitched together into one seamless array of experiences. Along the lines of Meta, Google sees smart glasses as the pedestal through which AI can go mainstream. But, with Gemini set to infiltrate every nook and cranny of Google’s world, the company holds a very rare and mighty platform on which to realize this sweeping vision.
The bunch of all the AI elements couldn’t let Google I/O 2025 slip away from this set of events. Day one came with a fantastic offer: an AI movie maker, Flowthe application that takes Hollywood into your hands. But wait; there is more. Consider having porterlike realtime translation for Google Meet, virtual tryons for clothes from a photo, and AIpowering of Project Astra’s computer vision. Were you outside the auditorium? Have a nostalgic moment with Engadget’s liveblog rewind. Bonus: Android 16 secrets spilled late last week at the Android Show. It is an AI revolution, and Google stands at the forefront!
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