Google tries smart glasses again
More than a decade after its Google Glass flopped, Google is developing a new generation of augmented reality glasses designed to merge the physical and digital worlds.
Why it matters: Augmented reality glasses are shaping up to be a key interface for AI-powered computing.
Meta has invested steadily in the category and Apple and others are ramping up development.
Driving the news: At Google I/O, the company offered more details on its prototype Android XR glasses and announced partnerships with Samsung and Warby Parker.
Unlike Meta's existing Ray-Ban smart glasses, Google's prototype adds an optional small display to the standard cameras, speakers and microphones.
Google also showed off its Gemini AI assistant running on its Project Moohan headset, the Apple Vision Pro rival that Samsung and Google plan to start selling later this year.
Google teased a third device, Project Aura, by Chinese hardware maker Xreal, known for glasses that allow users to both see the real world and watch movies and other content on a large virtual display.
How it works: Google's XR glasses connect via a nearby smartphone, while Aura glasses tether to a small custom computer powered by a Qualcomm processor.
Flashback: Introduced in 2013, the "explorer edition" of Google Glass cost a whopping $1,500 despite its limited function and awkward design, including a small display that was housed in a prominent acrylic block. Those who bought the device were often mocked, with some dubbing wearers as " glassholes."
Google has had an on-again, off-again relationship with virtual and augmented reality ever since. It has had a range of products, many short-lived, including its low-end Cardboard and its Daydream family of devices.
Between the lines: Reflecting on Google Glass, Sergey Brin said the product was too expensive and too distracting, among other flaws.
"I definitely feel like I made a lot of mistakes with Google Glass," Brin said during an on-stage interview at Google I/O, appearing alongside Demis Hassabis. "I just didn't know anything about consumer electronic supply chains."
"I am still a big believer in the format, so I'm glad that we have it now."
Hassabis said modern AI gives the glasses a purpose.
"I feel like that the universal assistant is the killer app for smart glasses and I think that's what's going to make it work," he said, adding that the underlying hardware technology "has also moved on and improved a lot."
Zoom in: I got to try both the prototype Android AR glasses and Project Moohan and both felt like a glimpse of the future and solid competitors to the products on the market.
The display on the AR glasses is small, but has enough detail to show images, such as a small map with directions. Google's Gemini AI assistant is available at the touch of a button and was able to answer a wide array of questions about paintings and other objects in the demo environment.
Project Moohan felt lighter than the Vision Pro and had an impressive field of view.
The controls were just as intuitive as the Vision Pro, but with an easier setup.
Yes, but: Google's augmented reality glasses aren't coming this year, while Meta is expected to offer a version of its Ray-Bans with a small screen included.
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