Google shows off Android XR glasses to compete with Meta and Apple

Google has shown off its Android XR-powered glasses, the extended reality version of the technology company's software, for the first time. The news was announced during Google I/O, the bigtech's annual programmer conference, on Tuesday (20) in San Francisco, California.

The first glasses were the result of a partnership with Chinese company XReal and should be followed by collaborations with other technology companies, such as Samsung, and in the optical sector, such as Kering, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. The products will hit the market after other bigtechs, such as Apple and Meta , have announced their extended reality glasses.

Equipped with a camera, microphones and speakers, these glasses work in conjunction with your phone, allowing you to access your apps without having to reach into your pocket. And an optional in-lens display provides helpful information privately, exactly when you need it. Pairing these glasses with Gemini means they see and hear what you do, so they understand your context, remember what’s important to you and can help you throughout your day,” Google says on its website.

The glasses equipped with Android XR will be able to send messages to friends, schedule appointments, request turn-by-turn directions, take photos and provide simultaneous translation between two people.

Google's unique move is to go against the grain of Apple, which created glasses with a futuristic look, and to add Android XR to conventional designs that can be used on the street. The technology is already used in headsets from partner companies such as Samsung and Qualcomm.

Check out the other new features announced at Google I/O here .

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