A Google logo is at the announcement of Google’s biggest-ever investment in Germany on November 11, 2025 in Berlin, Germany.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Google on Monday said it plans to launch the first of its AI-powered glasses in 2026, as the tech company ramps up its efforts to compete against Meta in a heating consumer market for AI devices.
The Alphabet-owned company is collaborating on hardware design with Samsung, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, with whom Google agreed to a $150 million commitment in May.
Google plans to release audio-only glasses that will allow users to speak with the Gemini artificial-intelligence assistant, the company said in a blog. Google also said there will be glasses with an in-lens display that show users information such as navigation directions and language translations. The company said the first of these glasses will arrive next year, but it did not specify which styles that will include.
In a Monday filing, Warby Parker said that the first of its glasses in partnership with Google are expected to launch in 2026.
The glasses will be built on top of Android XR, Google’s operating system for its headsets.
Google’s Monday updates come after the company in May announced that it would be getting back into the smart glasses game. At the time, co-founder Sergey Brin said he learned from Google’s past mistakes of failed smart glasses, citing less advanced AI and a lack of supply chain knowledge, which led to expensive price points.
“Now, in the AI world, the things these glasses can do to help you out without constantly distracting you — that capability is much higher,” Brin said in May.
The AI wearables space has been gaining traction with Meta leading the pack. the social media company’s Ray-Ban Meta glasses were met with surprising success. The glasses, which were designed in partnership with eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica, are infused with the Meta AI digital assistant
Meta also released its own display glasses in September, which allows users to see features like messages, photo previews and live captions through a small display that’s built into one of the device’s lenses.
Other companies like Snap and Alibaba have also been churning out their own AI glasses offerings as the small but competitive market continues to grow.
Google on Monday also revealed more software updates to the Galaxy XR headset, including the ability to link it to Windows PCs and a travel mode that will allows the device to be used in planes and cars.
WATCH: Google’s vibe-coding play