Google Announces Eyewear Brand Partnerships to Launch Android XR Glasses

• Gentle Monster and Warby Parker will co-develop Android XR glasses with Google.
• Gemini-enabled devices offer AI support through visual and audio context.

Google has announced new partnerships with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to develop glasses powered by Android XR. Revealed during Google I/O, these collaborations aim to create devices that users will want to wear all day. Google also mentioned Kering Eyewear as a future partner and confirmed an expanded relationship with Samsung to extend Android XR from headsets to glasses.

The Android XR platform integrates the Gemini AI model into wearable devices equipped with cameras, microphones, speakers, and optional in-lens displays. These glasses connect to a user's phone and provide contextual assistance for messaging, navigation, translation, and photography, with the AI interpreting what the user sees and hears.

To support the ecosystem, Google is building a software and hardware reference platform that will be made available to developers later this year. Trusted testers are already evaluating prototypes, and Google stated it is prioritizing privacy as it gathers feedback and moves toward public availability.

🌀 Tom’s Take:

Brand partnerships are critical to making smartglasses mainstream, and Google’s announcement with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster marks a pivotal step. Warby Parker’s strong presence in both online and retail channels positions it to play a major role in driving consumer adoption of Android XR glasses.

Source: Google Blog