We’re about to witness a critical moment for Google’s smart glasses

Google made plenty of announcements at the Android Show last week, but none captured my attention more than Android XR. The company formalized a roadmap I’ve been waiting for, designed to bring Android XR beyond clunky AR-style goggles into the world of something people actually want to wear.

Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset works well, and I enjoyed my time testing it, but there’s no way I’d want to wear a heavy headset for more than a few minutes at a time. It’s also expensive and limited to niche uses — it’s not a vehicle to bring Android XR into the mainstream.

I was always excited about AR glasses, but the technology had to catch up. As a lifelong glasses-wearer, it’s long been a dream to have an overlay inside the lens. Products like the Samsung Galaxy XR glasses are fine, but I don’t want to be tethered to my couch or desk, let alone a large battery pack. I also don’t want to look at the world through a video projection, and mixed reality goggles give me a headache after short periods.

Larger headsets may include more functionality, but I want something I can wear daily. Upcoming devices from Google and Samsung have partnered with legitimate eyeglass brands, hoping to provide something that looks less hideous on your face. The Ray-Ban Meta proved you could have a useful set of eyeglasses that look like conventional specs.

Price is also a significant factor. Spending several hundred dollars isn’t exactly an impulse buy, but it’s easier to make that leap than to spend almost $2,000 on the Galaxy XR headset. It’s still a decent chunk out of your wallet, but the price isn’t drastically higher than what you’d normally pay for a decent pair of traditional lenses.

Google is in a much better position to take another swing at smart glasses because the ecosystem is in place this time. Google Glass did some cool things for being released in 2013, but there were too many limitations. You could send texts and even get Google Maps directions, but I remember being frustrated with the voice-activated assistant. If you remember using voice recognition at the time, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. And if you’re going to go hands-free, the assistant has to be on point.

Android XR and Gemini provide that missing ecosystem. I anticipate way better app integration and much more functionality than Google Glass users could ever dream of. I may not be completely sold on the benefits of AI, but I can admit Gemini is significantly better at recognizing what I’m saying and delivering a proper response to my prompts. The capabilities have also advanced thanks to faster data connections and better cloud computing.

Based on what Google has demoed, XR glasses will be able to respond to my surroundings in real time. In addition to direction overlays, I’ll be able to see information about the world around me. Live translation is especially exciting. I love the idea of a text translation projected onto the lens in front of me, allowing me to communicate seamlessly with other smart glasses users worldwide.

Android XR is a more mature platform, with a decent user interface and more APIs. I can’t wait to see third-party developers integrate their visions. Your glasses will be an active participant, able to remember, read, and react to signs and posters you see. If I see a restaurant I want to look up later or try, I can tell my glasses to remember without ever having to pull out my phone — especially useful while driving.

All told, the future is bright, but I still have reservations.

There’s no doubt that battery life has gotten better on devices like the Ray-Ban Meta. Battery technology has advanced to the point where you can fit a decent-sized cell in the frame of glasses that don’t look ridiculous. However, I’m curious to see how long I actually get with heavy usage.

I’ll be thoroughly disappointed if Google and Samsung’s newer XR products can’t last a large chunk of my day without recharging. If I can only get 30 minutes or an hour of live translation or environmental overlays, I’m less likely to enjoy the experience. I understand I have to be realistic, and I’m sure battery life will improve over time, but ease of use will be part of the appeal of adoption, and users aren’t going to love something that is constantly low on battery.

I also don’t know how comfortable I am walking around in public talking to my glasses. I’m sure I can input prompts through my phone and see the results on the lens, but that defeats much of the convenience. There are people who are comfortable having a gab session with Gemini Live in public, but I’m not one of them — especially when it comes to personal information. I love the appeal of smart glasses, but privacy is a major concern.

It’s taken a few years, but the technology is finally making smart glasses useful. As a prescription glasses wearer, it won’t be a huge jump for me. Even if you’ve never worn glasses before, there isn’t too much that gets in the way of your daily routine. Big, bulky AR goggles require you to change how you work or how you experience entertainment. Even if your vision is perfect, I won’t have to explain to anyone how to use Google’s upcoming Android XR glasses, and that’s the secret to potential success.

But that success also hinges on design, price, battery life, and so many other factors. I’m hopeful Google will get it right, and with I/O’s opening keynote kicking off Tuesday morning, we don’t have long to wait to see if it does.