Google I/O is less than a day away, and the annual software showcase would be the perfect opportunity for Google and its partners to showcase their 2026 Android XR tech: the XR glasses we’ve been promised will land this year.
Google isn’t a stranger to smart specs, but since the rapid rise and fall of Google Glass, we’ve seen the likes of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses take the smart specs world by storm, and now the old king wants his crown back. But with Google taking a software-centric approach — letting others handle the hardware — it makes sense that this new generation of smart glasses would land at a software show like I/O.
Let’s get Xreal
I love Xreal’s specs, and have done for a while — if you want a pair of XR glasses you’ll struggle to beat the Xreal One Pros. So I’m especially excited to see the final version of its Project Aura Android XR glasses, and they’re also the pair we’re most likely to find at Google I/O (because unlike Samsung, Xreal doesn’t have a high profile tech events of its own in the calendar).
The big difference between Xreal’s Aura glasses and some other AI smart glasses we’ve been seeing is they’ll be wired. This matches Xreal’s XR approach with previous models and offers some design advantages, but also some constraints.
With no internal battery the Project Aura glasses should feel lighter and less bulky, but they’ll need to run from a connected device (in Aura’s case that’s a dedicated compute puck that doubles as a trackpad and a battery pack) plus they’ll be best suited to stationary activities (working, and watching TV) rather than using them on the move.
This approach might not be as mobile as the Ray-Ban and Samsung AI or AR specs, but should be a lot more capable where it counts.The glasses virtually project a giant display in front of your face, like your own private cinema, and boast the same superb optics as the Xreal One (so expect excellent OLED contrast and colors, a wide field of view, and fewer disruptive reflections in the lenses compared with rivals on the market). Whether you want a virtual display for working across multiple windows at once, or an immersive portable cinema for your face the Xreal One pro are the glasses to get because of these optics.
Where Aura improves on the current design is it includes cameras by default for hand and object tracking. It’s a bit more basic than the Samsung Galaxy XR headset’s system as Xreal lacks eye tracking, but it should make your Android XR experiences feel more interactive than Xreal’s previous tech.
The issue is I expect these specs will be pricey. The Xreal One Pros launched at $649, with a camera Xreal Eye add-on costing $99. The puck is also reminiscent of the Beam Pro and is likely to add a couple hundred to the price meaning we might be lucky if Xreal’s Aura comes in under $1,000.
Samsung steals this show?
Even though I believe Samsung will focus on its own launch event — perhaps tying its smart glasses release into its annual foldables event, which typically takes place in a few months — there’s a chance it’ll instead debut its glasses at I/O. Not just one pair at that, we might get to see two.
The first would be a more standard AI-focused design with a camera, speakers, and microphones, but no display, just like the basic (but impressive) Ray-Ban Meta specs.
Speaking of, the design recently leaked, and they do look strikingly similar to the Ray-Ban model. The only difference we know so far is they’ll rely on Gemini instead of Meta AI, which is generally agreed to be a more capable assistant, and has better interoperability between the core Android apps for more personalized contextual responses.
Based on my experience with Ray-Ban smart glasses, AI assistance can be super handy, especially as a tourist. With a better understanding of my schedule through my calendar, or the context of the photos I’ve taken with my phone, I’m hoping the Gemini-powered specs might offer better day-to-day usefulness.
Best of all, Samsung’s specs should be fairly affordable too. These smart glasses are rumored to cost between $379 and $499, which puts them roughly inline with Meta’s pricing — though we’ll have to wait and see what Samsung announces to know for sure, pricing has been all over thanks to various global economic challenges.
As for Samsung’s second pair of specs, they would be practically the same, but with a display.
Now, leaks and rumors suggest the display model won’t actually land until 2027 but I expect they’ll get some time in the spotlight if the displayless specs are shown off — in part to build excitement and prove Android XR has a long term plan (to rebut fears this is Google Glass 2.0), and in part to make Samsung not appear too far behind Meta’s technology (as its Ray-ban Display specs are already available to buy in the US).
It’s frustrating that we might have to wait a little longer for these display glasses, though, seeing the supply issues Meta has had with its version, and the high price tag, Samsung’s delay might mean it can bring us a more reliably available and affordable version of this exciting emerging tech.
Strut your stuff
Lastly, my bold Google I/O prediction: we’ll get an XR fashion show with models strutting down the runway in Gucci, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker smart specs.
Much like how Meta has partnered with EssilorLuxottica’s Oakley and Ray-Ban, Android XR companies are partnering with fashion brands to bring some style to their specs.
Given how much glasses can play into someone’s visual identity, a fashion focus is key, and offering a variety of looks is key to capturing different users and use cases — just look at Meta, its Ray-Bans are superb for everyday wear and casual vacationing, while its Oakleys are perfect for athletes.
With a wider variety of brands and, hopefully, styles under its belt, Android XR seems to have an advantage over Meta again, and a fashion show moment would be the perfect way to highlight the variety it’s set to offer.
Plus, Google has shown it isn’t afraid to mix things up with its events — last year, the Made by Google Pixel 10 launch show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon and featured a large cast of celebrities and segments that felt more like a variety show than a technology keynote.
So I’m hoping we might see some fun smart-glasses showcases, though I’ll admit my fashion-show pitch might be a little out there — and it assumes Google, Gentle Monster, Gucci, and Warby Parker are even ready to showcase their designs.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
