5 reasons why Google’s new smart glasses are more powerful than Google Glass

Google has been teasing the Android Android XR devices were nothing like Google Glass, the wearable concept launched and abandoned by Google more than a decade ago, long before the era of generative computing AI. Ahead of the Google I/O 2026 event, Google was expected to reveal more details about the first commercial Gemini-powered smart glasses, with the developer-focused event likely to be the venue for a new round of real-world demos and announcements. Google didn’t disappoint, announcing the first two Gemini smart glasses developed in partnership with Samsung, which provides hardware engineering, and two lead eyewear designers who handle product design, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.

Google confirmed at the event that both devices will be available in stores this fall, becoming the first Android XR smartglass models that will allow users to interact with Gemini AI without taking out their phone. The first two models will not feature a display in either lens. Google calls them “audio glasses” instead of “smart glasses” or “AI glasses”, although both descriptors apply equally.

The display glasses, which Google demonstrated at I/O 2025, will launch at an unspecified date. What’s clear from Google’s most recent videos is that the Gemini Glasses that buyers will find in stores later this year will be significantly better than the original Google Glass experience that Google introduced in 2012, even though in many ways both products are supposed to deliver the same wearable computing experience to users.

The original Google Glass had ambitious hardware, including a display that looked like a 25-inch HD display placed about 8 feet away, 12GB of storage, a 5-megapixel camera that supported 720p video recording, bone conduction audio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. The gadget ran its own Android-based operating system, but it also connected to an Android device to share data connectivity and run certain apps. Finally, Google Glass was supposed to offer all-day battery life.

Google hasn’t shared the full specifications of its new glasses, but Samsung will provide some of the technology. Qualcomm could also supply chips in Google’s audio glasses, given that the chipmaker is a partner in the Android XR platform. Demos shown by Google suggest that the audio glasses will be both more advanced and less ambitious than Google Glass.

The audio glasses will feature built-in speakers that will allow the user to hear Gemini’s responses, but the speakers must be placed on both sides. Additionally, the built-in cameras are probably more advanced than Google Glass. The audio glasses will connect wirelessly to the user’s handset, which will likely contain all the apps the glasses need, but the wearables will also run their own Android XR operating system. That said, Audio Glasses are companion devices, while Google Glass was designed for slightly more advanced, almost standalone operation. As for battery life, Google didn’t provide estimates, but the 2026 components used to make the audio glasses should be significantly faster and more efficient than those available in 2012.

The goal of Google Glass was that users could interact by saying “OK Glass” to search the web for information, make calls and send messages, get directions, take photos, and record videos. Since the device had a built-in display, Google Glass could be used to view content such as photos, videos, and emails. Google Glass devices did not have access to any generative AI software, while the Google audio glasses shown on stage at I/O 2026 are built around Gemini interactions.

Google’s vision of a face-worn wearable device as nimble as a regular pair of glasses hasn’t changed in nearly 15 years, although innovations in AI have made it easier to achieve. Users will be able to say “Hey Google” to give instructions to the device and ask it to perform tasks for them. Audio glasses can help users navigate to their next destination, make calls, send text messages, search the Internet, and capture photos and videos. The biggest difference is that the audio glasses run a more capable Android XR operating system that supports Android apps and, more importantly, is built with Gemini AI at the heart.

AI can see what users see and hear their commands and surroundings, and can provide information about the world and translate text and speech. On stage, Google used Gemini to launch a hands-free navigation experience that doesn’t require a screen, add a stop at a coffee shop along the way, and order a drink. The user also took a photo with the glasses and asked Gemini to edit the image with Nano-Banana before displaying it on a Pixel Watch.

“Audio glasses can only provide all-day assistance if they are stylish and comfortable,” Google said in a blog post announcing the first commercial Android XR audio glasses. The video above also focuses on design, featuring representatives from both eyewear designers. “I want to create smart glasses that look better than normal glasses. That’s our goal. It’s the balance between technology and fashion,” Hankook Kim, founder of Gentle Monster, said of his company’s next product. “Our vision for smart glasses started with wanting to design a beautiful pair of glasses,” Warby Parker executives said in the clip above, adding that they wanted to celebrate the technology behind these products instead of hiding it. Gentle Monster created a version of sunglasses, while Warby Parker made a regular pair of glasses that look like traditional glasses.

In comparison, the Google Glass unveiled by Google in 2012 looked nothing like a pair of glasses. The gadget was worn on the face, like the upcoming audio glasses, but it only featured one frame, with a thicker side housing the various hardware components needed to make Google Glass work. On the same side (to the user’s right), Google Glass presented a transparent cube which served as a screen for the laptop.

Google Glass was anything but stylish or fashionable. It was more of a conceptual product than a finished product. This simple design had a negative effect on those around the wearer, making them fear that the wearer could take photos or videos without their knowledge. In comparison, the Gentle Monster and Warby Parker devices are more discreet. The built-in, outward-facing cameras will, however, be a visible indicator that Google Audio Glasses can record audio and video.

When Google unveiled Google Glass, the device only worked with Android phones. It took a while for iPhones to get Google Glass support, but even then the experience wasn’t identical. Nearly 15 years later, the soon-to-be-launched Google Audio Glasses will support Android and iPhone devices from the start. Google confirmed this during the I/O 2026 presentation and in the press release. Specifically, Google said the audio glasses pair with both Android devices and iPhones and will work with apps installed on the user’s handset.

That said, Google hasn’t explained what kind of audio glasses experience iPhone users will get versus Android device owners. On Android, Google can integrate Gemini into the phone’s app at the system level. Gemini can be the default voice assistant and access the user’s personal data to answer questions and perform tasks on their behalf. AI can understand context, as Google’s demo shows. The AI ​​was able to answer this question: “Can you guide me to where I met my friend Gianna last week?” » which does not contain too specific information. Google doesn’t have the same freedom on the iPhone when it comes to app access, so it will be interesting to see how the audio glasses work with Apple’s operating system and what limitations will be in place.

Other AI-powered smart glasses already available in stores work with iPhone and Android. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses can connect to both platforms, although Meta cannot offer the same deep integration as Google on Android XR devices.

Google has not revealed availability details for the Gentle Monster and Warby Parker audio glasses revealed at I/O 2026. We don’t have specific release dates or pricing information for either model. However, these devices are unlikely to be as expensive as the original Google Glass, which cost around $1,500 when available. You can buy the Galaxy XR headset for $1,799 as of this writing, the first Android XR wearable to hit stores. However, the Galaxy XR device is a space computer similar to the Apple Vision Pro, providing a complete computing experience.

The audio glasses should be significantly cheaper than this, in line with what similar products from the competition are selling for. Meta sells its AI smart glasses for $299 and $379 (depending on model), while display options start at $799. Meta has partnered with Ray-Ban and Oakley for the various models it has released to date. Separately, Samsung is rumored to be making its own Android XR glasses, in addition to working with Google on both of these models, including audio-only models and display glasses. Named Jinju and Haean respectively, these Samsung devices are expected to cost between $379 and $499 (Jinju) and between $600 and $900 (Haean).