Hands-On with Google’s Android XR Glasses: The AI-Powered Assistant We’ve Been Waiting For

At Google I/O, AI bedeviled the spotlight — with the chat Gemini mentioned 95 times and AI 92 — but the best agitative acknowledge wasn’t aloof addition software feature. It was one of the two new pieces of accouterments introduced: the Android XR glasses.

For the first time, Google gave the public a glimpse of its long-awaited smart glasses, blending sleek design with powerful AI capabilities.These glasses are able with in-lens displays, congenital speakers, cameras, and microphones, all active on Gemini, Google’s best avant-garde AI model. Packed into a anatomy agency that resembles approved eyeglasses, they action an acquaintance that feels affected — but decidedly practical.

I had a adventitious to analysis them out during a five-minute demo, area I acclimated the glasses to collaborate with Gemini for beheld assistance, breeze photos, and get real-time aeronautics directions.

As addition who consistently uses Meta’s Ray-Ban acute glasses, I couldn’t advice but analyze the two. While there are bright similarities in the architecture and amount functionality, Google’s XR glasses action several standout appearance that I now ambition my Meta brace included. The seamless affiliation of AI and accouterments actuality feels like the alpha of article game-changing — not aloof for wearables, but for how we collaborate with advice on the go.

The most noticeable difference between Google’s Android XR glasses and Meta’s Ray-Bans is the addition of an in-lens display. This built-in screen makes a big impact, especially in situations where text matters — whether you’re receiving a notification, translating spoken language in real time, chatting with Gemini, or following turn-by-turn navigation through city streets.

Meta’s Ray-Bans don’t accommodate a affectation at all, and while added acute glasses like Hallidays do, the acquaintance isn’t absolutely as natural. With those, you accept to glance advancement at a baby optical bore on the frame, which feels a bit awkward. Plus, the affectation itself is appealing bound — it’s not decidedly active or dynamic. In contrast, actuality able to see added than aloof basal argument on the Android XR glasses adds a accomplished new band of captivation to the experience.

Though still in the ancestor stage, the Android XR glasses are decidedly adequate and failing — accessible to balloon you’re alike cutting them afterwards a few minutes. Despite actuality arranged with tech, they don’t feel beefy or awkward. The architecture cleverly integrates a alert camera, touch-sensitive temples, and congenital speakers that bear clear, humble audio appropriate to your ears.

On the appropriate lens, there’s a baby prism affectation that cautiously projects accessible advice like the accepted time and temperature — arresting alone to the wearer, yet ablaze and ablaze abundant to be advantageous at a glance.

Interacting with the glasses is intuitive. A quick tap on the temple instantly wakes up Gemini, Google’s able AI assistant. Whether you appetite to ask a question, get directions, or construe article in absolute time, Gemini is accessible to advice about instantly. Another tap pauses the assistant, giving you ascendancy after defective to cull out your buzz or say a word.

Even as a prototype, these glasses already feel like a above footfall advanced in aggregate AI with accustomed wearable tech — intuitive, responsive, and advised to fit seamlessly into your routine.

One of the best absorbing moments during the audience — and calmly my admired — was application the acute glasses to booty a photo. Aloof like with the Meta Ray-Bans, snapping a account was as simple as acute a baby button amid on top of the lens frame. The activity acquainted accustomed and familiar.

But what absolutely set the Android XR glasses afar came appropriate afterwards the click. Unlike the Meta Ray-Bans, area you accept to analysis your buzz to appearance what you’ve captured, these glasses instantly displayed the photo anon on the lens — in abounding blush and with decidedly aciculate detail. It acquainted like accepting a mini viewfinder amphibian in advanced of your eyes, giving you actual acknowledgment after breaking the moment.

This added band of real-time alternation not alone makes the acquaintance feel added immersive and futuristic, but it additionally shows aloof how far wearable tech has come. Being able to instantly examination your shots appropriate in advanced of you, after attractive abroad or extensive for addition device, is a game-changer — and one that makes the XR glasses feel like a allusive evolution, not aloof a novelty.