After the failure of Google Glass, launched in 2013, the general consensus was that smart glasses were a failed device of the past
However, Meta and Apple thought otherwise and continued developing their own smart glasses projects. Now, Google is joining them.
Partnering with Chinese company Xreal, a leader in AR glasses, Google introduced Project Aura on May 20 during Google I/O 2025: Android XR glasses with augmented reality and Gemini AI that can answer the user’s questions about anything they see… providing all the information they’re curious about.
Previously known as Nreal, Xreal is a Chinese company specializing in AR glasses and is considered one of the global leaders in this field.
The Chinese company supplies the hardware for the glasses, while Google provides Android XR, its platform dedicated to mixed reality. Together, they aim to compete with Meta’s Orion glasses and Apple, which launched its Vision Pro in early 2024.
The project also involves Qualcomm, which supplies an XR-optimized chipset—not built into the glasses themselves, but housed in a “computing pack” (a small box connected to the glasses).
This design keeps the glasses lightweight while still delivering high performance. It’s part of a so-called connected computing architecture—somewhere between glasses and a mini personal computer.
Unlike enclosed AR headsets, Aura allows users to see the real world through its lenses, overlaid with digital elements: notifications, documents, interactive interfaces, and more.
The central element of Project Aura is its native integration of Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence.
The idea is clear: to make the glasses a cognitive interface—always accessible, capable of assisting the user at any moment in their real-world environment.
Whether it’s real-time translation, displaying a recipe while cooking, reminding about a meeting, or filtering notifications… Aura aims to make artificial intelligence invisible and omnipresent.
In fact, instead of pulling out a smartphone every few minutes to ask ChatGPT a question, AR glasses are a much more convenient device for the AI era.
The glasses are still in the early stages of development. Gemini’s integration allows for natural interactions by looking at an object and asking questions, providing a fluid experience that finally gives AR real-world relevance.
Those who have tried the glasses report that the frame is relatively light and well-balanced, with a better field of view than previous models—though still limited compared to XR headsets.
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