Google has been working on this for many years Smart glasses and has already tried out a wide variety of concepts, none of which were able to hold their own on the market or never appeared at all. The next attempt will be next year, for which you will now bring all the puzzle pieces you need with you. Above all, you have the all-important killer application, which is always lacking Gemini finally found.
Google's first attempt on the smart glasses market is still unforgettable today and is probably known to many users who may not have been there at the time: Google Glass. Then as now, it was clear that the product shown (and also available on the market) was far ahead of its time in all areas. But that also means that it wasn't the right time: there was a lack of technology, there was a lack of AI, there was a lack of suitable software, there was a lack of people being ready for such devices and the entire environment.
Most of the points have now been checked off, but one thing is still missing from smart glasses: THE killer application. So at least one app or an area of application where such a device really makes sense and is still fun even after the first few days of curiosity. This is also why Pixel Glass, which has been discontinued several times, has failed and is the reason why the entire product category has been restarted at least three times in recent years.
But in almost 15 years in this market, Google has not only paid a lot of money, but has also gained a lot of experience. It no longer fails because of the hardware, nor because of the computing power. User acceptance is at least in a growing group and the market has also been created through products from the Meta portfolio and the Apple Vision Pro. Now all Google has to do is get on board.
Everything that Google demonstrated with Google Glass 13 years ago is only really fully feasible today. The apps back then weren't ready yet, the Google Assistant was considered unsuitable and the venerable Google Now wasn't even a sneak peek in this direction. Today things are different, because now Google has such a powerful and widespread AI with Gemini that it can be really helpful and go far beyond gimmickry.
Gemini as a killer app
It's not without reason that Google is throwing a lot into the balance: with the idea of Android XR you bring in the entire Android ecosystem and solve the app problem. With the Twin project Astra Permanent image recognition including a constantly available voice assistant is available. Gemini can always answer questions about what he has seen or even remember things. This was shown a long time ago and will be demonstrated even more maturely in new demos.
To do this, Google throws its own weight into the balance, the entire Android app ecosystem, the financial strength, the Pixel portfolio and, with Samsung and Qualcomm, they bring in two powerful hardware partners early on. There hasn't been such an extensive attempt yet and if the Google Smart Glasses ever work, it should be now.
» Android XR: These are the new Google apps for smart glasses – maps, photos, YouTube, TV, translate (videos)
» Gemini: Google's AI miracle weapon is being broadly deployed – will now also drive virtual reality (comment)
