Google I/O 2026 is just around the corner, and all eyes are on what Google has in store for the year. One of our big expectation for the annual event: some major announcements involving the company’s planned smart glasses.
Google has already confirmed it will release a pair of smart glasses, built for the Android XR platform, in 2026. Until we have another name for these unreleased specs,, we’ve been calling them the Android XR glasses. (Remember: Android XR is also the name of Google’s previously launched augmented reality operating system, which powers products like the Galaxy XR headset.)
Just don’t call them Google Glass.
What we know about Android XR smart glasses
Google debuted a concept of its upcoming smart glasses at last year’s I/O. The AI-powered smart glasses featured a full augmented reality in-glass interface with cameras, microphones, and speakers built in. Google also said it would be working with well-known brands like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to produce an array of styles. Unfortunately for Google, the live demo during I/O didn’t exactly go as planned.
However, since Google first showed off that concept, there have been some new developments with what we’re calling Android XR smart glasses — emphasis on glasses.
Google is, in fact, working on more than one Android XR smart glass model.
The first model of Google’s Android XR smart glasses has been compared to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses. These smart glasses are equipped with a camera, speakers, and a microphone, and can interact with Google’s AI assistant Gemini. There is no display with this model.
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The second model notably does have an in-glasses display in order to show the user visual information, such as captions for translations and map directions. Google has generally referred to these glasses as AI glasses, and we got a better look at them in a December 2025 blog post.
Credit: Google
Both smart glass models run on Android XR, Google’s smart glass operating system that debuted with the Samsung Galaxy XR headset.
Google previously confirmed that the no-dispay model of Android XR smart glasses will launch this year, so we should get a nice preview of what they will offer at Google I/O.
The big question is how much more Google will unveil about the Android XR AI glasses with a built-in display. So far, the company has not yet shared a timeframe for the release of that model. Will we find out at Google I/O 2026?
What else do we know? Not much, but not nothing.
Outside of a few demos, Google hasn’t revealed too much about its smart glasses yet.
However, as Mashable’s Chance Townsend reported, Google’s developer design documentation for Android XR should offer a window into how the company is approaching all things AR, VR, and XR.
“Designing for AI Glasses with Android XR requires a thoughtful approach to user experience, prioritizing comfort and seamless integration with the user’s daily life,” reads the documentation. “Apps on glasses should feel like a natural extension of the user’s perception, providing convenient access to information without being intrusive.”
For more insight, our colleagues at CNET have tried on the unreleased Google smart glasses (again, definitely not Google Glass). In addition to Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, Samsung and eyewear brand Kering are also heavily rumored to be building smart glasses for Android XR. As CNET reports, Kering could even bring Gucci smart glasses to market in the near future.
Expect all of these glasses to feature heavy integration with Gemini.
To hopefully find out more, tune into Google I/O 2026 and follow Mashable’s live coverage on May 19.
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