(Credit: PCMag/Michael Kan)
Google is setting the stage for a new push into smart glasses. At Google I/O, the company debuted "intelligent eyewear" products slated to arrive through Samsung this fall, while XReal unveiled Project Aura, which features a display in the lenses.
Samsung has partnered with eyewear makers Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to create glasses fitted with exterior cameras, a microphone, and a speaker, enabling the wearer to make voice commands to Google’s Gemini chatbot. The glasses are built on Google's Android XR platform, meant to unleash a range of wearables connected to the company's software ecosystem.
(Credit: PCMag/Florence Ion)The result is a pair of "audio smart glasses" that can offer a voice-command AI assistant on the go. In a demo, the company showed the Samsung glasses wirelessly connecting to the user's phone, then harnessing Gemini to place an online coffee order and add an event to the user's calendar.
The glasses can also connect to a smartwatch and transmit a photo from the eyewear to the watch. Google emphasized that the glasses will pair with both Android and iOS devices.
(Credit: Google)Google and Samsung didn't exactly break new ground, though. The product seems poised to compete with the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which also feature a built-in exterior camera, microphone, and speaker, but don't have a display in the lens.
Project Aura
XReal, on the other hand, announced Project Aura, a pair of lightweight glasses with a display in the lenses and a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Unfortunately, the glasses weren't demoed on stage during the Google I/O keynote. Still, XReal says the product will unite "best-in-class" technologies from both the company and Google, and is built for the Android XR ecosystem.
The OLED display in Project Aura offers a “class-leading,” 70-degree field of view, XReal says. As a result, a wearer can view Google Maps, YouTube videos, and 360-degree VR videos. On the downside, the glasses also include a long cable on one of the stems, meant to connect to a phone or a laptop.
(Credit: XReal)XReal plans to launch Project Aura globally later this year, though pricing remains unclear. The product offers an alternative to Meta’s Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, which feature a full-color 600-by-600 display in one lens, but it offers only a 20-degree field of view.
As for Samsung, the company says its smart glasses promise a stylish look and cutting-edge hands-free AI capabilities. The exterior cameras mean a wearer can snap images around them and ask Google’s Gemini for input, for example, suggestions for a nearby coffee shop or placing an order at a local store.
(Credit: Samsung)The glasses can also speak out loud and summarize your notifications and texts. “Additional features include real-time translations with audio that matches the speaker’s voice, as well as the ability to translate text on menus or signs in the user’s line of sight,” Samsung says. “Working seamlessly within the Galaxy ecosystem, the device helps users easily manage everyday tasks or effortlessly capture photos, all without taking their phone out.”
Expect more details, including pricing, to be announced in the coming months.