Android XR has arrived, but Google isn’t going it alone – far from it.
Instead, Google is teaming up with a slew of partners who will launch Android XR glasses and headsets. This is an exact match to how it handles Android on smartphones, though at the time of writing, it has yet to announce some kind of in-house Google Pixel Glasses.
There are still plenty of unknown Android XR details, but here’s everything we know about the five brands set to make smart glasses with Google, as well as my best guesses at the sort of glasses they’ll make based on what’s been announced and what these companies have made before.
1. Samsung smart glasses
Ignoring Qualcomm, Samsung looks to be Google’s closest Android XR collaborator. In terms of physical hardware, it’s also the only device we’ve seen in action, with Google execs taking to the stage at Google I/O and previously at a TED talk to showcase Samsung’s prototype specs.
Samsung currently defines what XR is. That is, it’s fairly slim, it packs a camera for snapping photos and providing the AI with visual input, and it offers a screen so the glasses can share info with you visually and not just sonically (which is what Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are currently limited to).
There’s no word on a release date for this specs, but they’re rumored for a 2026 launch.
2. Xreal’s ‘Project Aura’
Next up is Xreal, the maker of the Xreal One glasses, which (at the time of writing) top our picks of the best smart glasses.
It is also making Android XR glasses, currently known as Project Aura.
They look a lot like a pair of Xreal One glasses with a built-in camera. They will even be tethered rather than wireless (which could help keep cost and weight down somewhat) to match Xreal’s usual XR glasses approach.
Again, we’ve got no word on when they might launch, but given Xreal has shown us an image of Project Aura (something which can’t be said for most entries on this list), we’re hoping the specs are coming sooner rather than later.
3. Warby Parker smart specs
Warby Parker offers a range of eyeglasses and sunglasses, and it’s one of three fashion brands Google says it’s working with on Android XR devices.
Like every entry on this list, it hasn’t given us a release date for its specs yet, but it has released an image of its smart glasses (which you can see above).
The sleek, standard-looking shape of its smart glasses captures precisely what Warby Parker’s glasses style is. It won’t surprise you aesthetically, but its frames have a reliable, all-day look which is perfect for smart glasses you’ll always want to wear.
Given that Warby Parker offers a range of lens types, including prescription lenses, we expect its smart glasses to follow this trend, though they might not feature an in-lens display at first.
Just like the other fashion-first brands on this list we’re about to dive into, I expect they’ll start with simple AI glasses (effectively Gemini-based versions of the existing Ray-Ban Meta), which should be cheaper and easier to produce than full-on AR glasses, which seems to be Samsung’s primary goal.
4. Gentle Monster Android XR glasses
If Warby Parker sits at the more traditional end of the glasses spectrum, Gentle Monster is strutting raucously at the other.
They do sell those more normal-looking glasses, but they also have head-turning designs embellished with jewels or with bold form factors.
Gentle Monster has yet to showcase its smart glasses, but my hope is it’s one of these weirder designs that gets the Android XR treatment, something that really stands out against the Ray-Ban meta glasses rather than trying to mimic them.
Despite my wishes, I expect that won’t be the case for several reasons, not least of which is the need for these smart glasses to appeal to a wide audience while in their infancy.
That’s backed up by Gentle Monster’s previous smart eyewear collab with Huawei, which were more standard-looking frames enhanced by in-built speakers for music and calls.
5. Kering Eyewear x Android XR
Lastly, we have Kering Eyewear, the most recent addition to the Android XR family.
When Google first announced its collaboration with four brands, we were only aware of four, but in the days since, Kering Eyewear has announced its smart glasses plans.
We have yet to see what specs it’s working on, but based on its previous collaborations with Gucci, Balenciaga, McQueen, and others, we’re expecting a heightened traditional design.
It’s not quite as out there as some of Gentle Monster’s approaches to glasses, but it’s more striking than the frames you’d see from Warby Parker.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
