Google’s first Android XR AI glasses will arrive in 2026

Google is planning to launch the first of its new wave of AI-based glasses in 2026, it said in a blog post on Monday. The company laid out two branches of AI specs running on Android XR, which will arrive next year – one with a display and one without.

The screen-free version will be designed for interaction with Gemini. They’ll have speakers and microphones for that purpose, and also a camera. The camera will take pictures, but it’ll also have the capability to give you help with information about what you’re looking at like Google Lens does now. The second branch will have a screen within the lens that “privately shows you helpful information, right when you need it, like turn-by-turn navigation or translation captions.”

Google revealed its plans at I/O this spring. The company is in league with Samsung Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to ensure the glasses are a little bit less techy and little bit more stylish and comfortable. As CNBC points out, Warby Parker revealed in a filing their effort will arrive in 2026. They’ll go head to head with Meta, who’s Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses have proved popular among consumers.

This is the first time we’ve heard Google mention the timeline for its AI glasses, which are likely be the pitched as long term successors to the smartphone for some people. “Now, in the AI world, the things these glasses can do to help you out without constantly distracting you — that capability is much higher,” Google co-founder Sergei Brin said in May.

So far, the only Android XR device on sale is Samsung’s Galaxy XR.