Google challenges Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses with new Android XR glasses

Android XR

Google is getting serious about smart glasses. At its annual developer event, Google I/O 2025, the company showed off its upcoming Android XR glasses. These are AI-powered smart glasses that aim to make your daily life easier without needing to pick up your phone all the time.

The idea is simple. What if your glasses could help you message friends, take photos, get directions or even translate conversations in real time? That is what Google is working on with its Android XR glasses, and they’re doing it with a little help from Gemini, their powerful AI assistant.

These glasses come with a built-in camera, microphone and speakers. You can wear them like regular glasses, but they also connect to your phone and give you helpful information right when you need it. An optional tiny screen inside the lens shows things like messages or directions without anyone else seeing it. So you can stay focused on what’s around you without looking at a screen in your hand.

One of the most interesting features Google showed was live language translation. Two people speaking different languages were able to have a conversation, and the glasses gave subtitles in real time. It felt like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

But Google knows that no matter how smart the glasses are, people will only wear them if they actually look good. That’s why they’re teaming up with brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to make sure these glasses are stylish and comfortable. More brands like Kering Eyewear will also be part of the project in the future.

Google is also working closely with Samsung to build a strong platform for these glasses. Developers will be able to start making apps for them later this year.

With Android XR glasses, Google is clearly ready to take on Meta and other players in the smart glasses space. And if the glasses are as helpful and comfortable as they promise, we might soon be seeing a lot more people using AI without ever touching a screen.