Google's AI glasses are here – except they aren't
Android XR's roll-out creeps closer
Google I/O brought with it news from Samsung and Xreal about their smart glasses, giving us the chance to see (in the case of Samsung), the sort of design that Gentle Monster and Warby Parker will be offering.
There are two distinct types of glasses that Google is working on - display glasses (which aren't ready yet) and audio glasses (which also aren't ready yet). While we wait for display glasses to have their moment, the focus of Google I/O's reveal was on audio glasses.
What about the Galaxy XR headset?
The first Android XR device was unveiled in late 2025 - the Galaxy XR - although availability of the headset is currently limited. It's not available in Europe, which does raise some questions. It's also expensive at $1799, suffering from the same price barrier as Apple Vision Pro.
While having a universal Android platform for these devices is key to developer engagement, I think the lesson we've all learnt from Apple Vision Pro is that people aren't rushing headlong into buying these types of devices, no matter how premium you make them.
When T3 tech writer Max Freeman-Mills tried the Galaxy XR for himself, he struggled to see the advantage over Meta Quest models at less than half the price. That's not something to be ignored.
Is Meta's lead unassailable?
I don't mention Meta by accident: the company has an 82% global market share in smart glasses according to Counterpoint data from February 2026. Meta launched its Ray-Ban glasses in 2023 and they have already gone through several iterations, so that's no surprise.
Moving beyond Ray-Ban, Meta also partnered with Oakley - another eyewear powerhouse - to expand the options. Buying Meta's glasses is easy, because even if you're not using the smart functions, you're buying into highly desirable brands.
That makes a difference: Samsung has turned to Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Warby Parker is known in the US but less so globally, while Gentle Monster is a small disrupter-focused brand - neither has the mass market appeal of brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley.
While we're waiting for Android XR to get its ducks in a row, the incumbent champion looks increasingly attractive, while fuelling its success with thousands of POV videos across social media.
How will Google actually change the game?
Gemini is key to the Android XR experience. It's going to allow for easy interaction with a familiar and powerful AI assistant, and the advantage of that experience being universal across your phone and desktop. This is the Google ecosystem advantage that could topple Meta, if it works seamlessly.
I say that because this isn't the first wearable to offer Gemini, or even Gemini Live. The Google Pixel Buds already offer much of the audio experience that Android XR users will get - and it's not always as seamless.
I've been using Google Assistant and Gemini on Pixel Buds since its inception. I still find it blighted by slow responses, lengthy pauses and generally not doing what I ask it to. It's easier to pull my phone out to check my messages, because Gemini, currently, just isn't great with what it delivers.
Integrating visual intelligence into the picture will bring Google's full AI power online - as well as seamless integration with services like Google Maps - with the huge Android developer base ready to swing in to widen app support.
But Google and its partners will be launching its new "Intelligence Eyewear" into an increasingly hostile environment, with more people calling out such smart glasses as "an invasion of privacy".
When will Android XR glasses be available?
We just don't know. The loose timeframe we have is "fall". That suggests September or later - until then, if you're after a pair of AI glasses, then Meta's models are ready and waiting.
