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image source: Axios
The collaborative efforts between Google and Samsung on the Android XR platform are well-documented, aiming to weave Google’s advancements in AI into new hardware form factors. While Samsung is developing a headset more akin to Apple’s Vision Pro under the codename Project Moohan, Google has been focusing its efforts on a sleeker glasses-based approach. Details surrounding the launch of Google’s glasses remain scarce, but they just made a notable, albeit subtle, public appearance.
During the recent TED2025 event in Vancouver, Shahram Izadi (the head of Android XR at Google) took the stage for a talk centered on the platform’s potential. Izadi didn’t just talk about the concept, however; he wore a prototype of the Android XR glasses throughout his presentation. The hardware itself appeared largely unchanged from the prototypes previously glimpsed in private demos, blending in quite effectively as standard eyewear.
According to Axios, the presentation included live demonstrations of the glasses’ capabilities, showcasing features that align with Google’s AI strengths. Real-time translation was demonstrated, converting Farsi speech into English text displayed within the glasses’ optics. Image recognition and the seamless integration between the glasses and connected Android devices were also shown off.
While the glasses took center stage during Izadi’s talk, Axios also noted that Samsung’s XR headset made an appearance during the event demos. Its focus seemed geared towards productivity and entertainment, demonstrating multi-window multitasking and immersive VR video playback – capabilities expected from a larger, more VR-like headset.
Even though this was a really fun showcase, the event offered no real, new information regarding timelines for either Google’s glasses or Samsung’s headset. The path to market for these Android XR devices remains murky for the time being, but the more they get shown off here and there, the more I feel like we could realistically see both by year’s end. Maybe we’ll get another tease at Google I/O 2025 next month?
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