Google is diving back into the smart glasses scene, ready to shake off the past mistakes with Google Glass. On December 12, the company rolled out Android XR, a sleek new operating system designed for headsets and smart glasses. With competitors like Meta’s Quest series and Apple’s Vision Pro already making waves, Google is counting on its Gemini generative AI to offer something fresh.
The first device using Android XR is a pair of Samsung glasses, codenamed Project Moohan, set to hit stores in 2025. Google promises that these future devices will “transform how you watch, work, and explore.” While they’ve kept the timeline for more hardware and software tight-lipped, Android XR is already in preview for developers and a select group of partners.
So, what’s the deal with Android XR? These glasses will feature hands-free navigation. Here’s what they can do:
– Answer questions about your surroundings in natural language with Gemini.
– Search the web or create AI-driven to-do lists using conversational prompts.
– Stream YouTube and access Google TV.
– Showcase Google Photos in a virtual reality setting.
– Use Circle to Search to gather information on objects you see in the real world.
Google’s vision for Android XR includes a variety of stylish and comfortable smart glasses that integrate perfectly with your other Android devices. Shahram Izadi, Google’s VP of Extended Reality, shared this vision in a blog post. The company plans to kick off private testing of Android XR on new hardware soon, with partners like Sony, Lynx, and XREAL in focus.
For developers itching to get their hands on Android XR, the software development kit is available right now at developer.android.com/develop/xr. Google is also taking applications for an Android XR Developer Bootcamp, offering early access to hardware in exchange for collaboration with their internal team.
Android XR works seamlessly with tools like ARCore, Android Studio, Jetpack Compose, Unity, and OpenXR. Plus, since it includes the Android Play Store, any existing apps can quickly transition to extended reality platforms using Google’s automatic tools for adapting layouts and designs.
