Android's XR Smart Glasses could thrive where Google Glass stumbled, thanks to Gemini AI integration.
Google has made a significant stride in the realm of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) with the introduction of Android XR, a new operating system designed for a wide range of VR/AR devices. The announcement was made at Google's 2025 I/O developer conference.
Android XR aims to create a thriving ecosystem of developers and device manufacturers by leveraging familiar Android tools such as ARCore, Android Studio, Jetpack Compose, Unity, and OpenXR. This means that developers can easily create apps that work across diverse XR hardware, from bulky headsets like Apple's Vision Pro to lightweight smart glasses.
Key Features and Developments
One of the standout features of Android XR is its deep integration with artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to improve user interactions and system functionality. The platform also supports running standard Android apps on XR devices, while offering enhanced capabilities for XR-specific applications.
Google is collaborating closely with partners like Samsung, Qualcomm, XREAL, Sony, and Magic Leap. Samsung, for instance, is developing a premium mixed reality headset called “Project Moohan”, scheduled to launch in late 2025. Powered by Android XR and the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, this headset promises advanced features such as pancake optics, a slim profile, color passthrough AR, up to 4.3K resolution per eye, and multiple interaction modalities.
Android XR also integrates Qualcomm's Snapdragon Spaces XR platform for spatial computing, enhancing tracking, rendering, and input capabilities. Efforts are ongoing to improve 3D UI elements, photorealistic visuals, and multi-user experience in virtual environments.
Android XR Glasses: A New Frontier
One of the most exciting developments is the integration of Android XR into smart glasses. These glasses will allow hands-free access to apps, text reading, and chatbot interaction, thanks to Google's Gemini AI. Google has Warby Parker and Gentle Monster on board to design stylish Android XR glasses, aiming to address the concerns of privacy and aesthetics that were raised with Google Glass.
However, battery life is a concern, with the glasses expected to last only about an hour or two. Users may still need to take out their phones for private conversations. The new developer preview adds more support for games built on the Unity engine, and Google Translate will be a feature of Android XR glasses, translating spoken languages on screen.
Xreal will share more details and specs on its Android XR glasses at Augmented World Expo in June. The Google Play Store will launch a list of supported 2D Android apps that work with Android XR later this year. Google and Samsung are crafting their hardware reference platform together for Android XR.
Despite the challenges, Android XR marks Google’s robust return to the XR space with a practical and developer-friendly platform supporting a wide range of XR devices, enhanced by AI, and promoting immersive, natural interactions in both VR and AR contexts. The first consumer devices, including Samsung's headset, are expected to ship around late 2025 to early 2026.
As with any new technology, the acceptance of Android XR devices will depend on factors such as price, battery life, and privacy concerns. However, the success of Meta Ray-Bans, a popular brand of smart glasses, suggests that people are more open to techy wearables when they look cool and sport popular brand names.
[1] Samsung Project Moohan [2] Google I/O 2025: Android XR is the new operating system for virtual and augmented reality devices [3] Samsung's Project Moohan: Everything we know so far [4] Google's Android XR: A New Operating System for Virtual and Augmented Reality Devices [5] Android XR: Google's New Operating System for Virtual and Augmented Reality
- Google's collaboration with partners like Samsung, Qualcomm, XREAL, Sony, and Magic Leap will contribute to the development of a new era in technology, as demonstrated by Samsung's upcoming mixed reality headset, Project Moohan, which is scheduled to launch in late 2025 and runs on Android XR.
- The technology industry is becoming more immersive and AI-driven with Android XR, Google's new operating system for virtual and augmented reality devices, which aims to improve user interactions and system functionality by leveraging AI.
- In the near future, gizmodo enthusiasts can look forward to trying out Android XR-powered smart glasses designed by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, offering hands-free access to apps, text reading, and chatbot interaction, making technology more accessible and integrated into daily life.
