Google Targets 2026 Launch for AI-Powered Smart Glasses in Wearables Market Comeback
Alphabet's Google is making a renewed push into smart glasses with plans to launch AI-powered eyewear in 2026. The tech giant will offer two variants: audio-only glasses featuring its Gemini AI assistant, and a display-equipped model capable of showing navigation prompts and real-time translations. This marks Google's second attempt at the wearables category after the high-profile failure of its Google Glass product in 2015.
The competitive landscape has shifted dramatically since Google's initial foray. Meta currently dominates the AI wearables space, having sold two million units of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses as of February 2025. Industrywide, sales of AI glasses surged over 250% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, according to Counterpoint Research data.
Google has secured partnerships with Samsung, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker for hardware design. The company also unveiled Project Aura in collaboration with XREAL, featuring a 70-degree field of view and full Android app compatibility in floating windows. This strategic MOVE positions Google to capitalize on the accelerating convergence of AI and augmented reality technologies.