Google takes a page out of Meta’s book, announces new audio-powered smart glasses at IO 2026
Quick Answer
Google has announced new AI-powered 'audio glasses' in partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, designed to work with Android and iOS devices.
Quick Take
Google has announced new AI-powered 'audio glasses' in partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, designed to work with Android and iOS devices. Users can issue verbal commands to interact with apps like Gemini, with availability expected later this year.
Key Points
- The new glasses will feature voice command capabilities for app interaction.
- Designed in collaboration with Samsung, the glasses aim to enhance user experience.
- Google's return to smart glasses follows years of experimentation since Google Glass.
- The smart glasses market has seen increased investment from major companies like Meta.
- Availability of the audio glasses is expected later this year.
📖 Reader Mode
~2 min readGoogle is getting (back) into the smart glasses game.
At Google I/O on Tuesday, the company announced a new partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to produce a new line of AI-powered glasses. The company says that the devices will be built to pair with Android and iOS devices and were designed in collaboration with Samsung. They will be available later this year, the company said.
Google is calling the new devices “audio glasses,” in that users will be able to issue verbal commands to them and get things done via its ecosystem of apps and services, including Gemini.
The user simply talks to their glasses (the demo shared on Tuesday involved a Googler ordering a coffee online by merely talking to the glasses), and the device, when synced, complies.
Google has dabbled in smart glasses a number of times over the years. It notoriously launched Google Glass years ago, which ultimately helped spawn the derogatory term “glassholes.”
The smart glasses space has changed a little bit since then, however. Lately, major companies — most notably Meta — and a small army of startups and smaller firms, have invested in the space.
Catch up on the rest of Google IO 2026’s big news
Google Search as you know it is over
Google updates Gemini app to take on ChatGPT and Claude
Google introduces Gemini Spark, a 24/7 agent assistant with Gmail integration
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Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing lucas.ropek@techcrunch.com.
— Originally published at techcrunch.com
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