Google revisits smart glasses market with AI-powered models
Plans for new AI-powered smart glasses debuting in 2026 signal a renewed push into wearables, with two models tied to the Gemini ecosystem.
Google has announced plans to re-enter the smart-glasses market in 2026 with new AI-powered wearables, a decade after discontinuing its ill-fated Google Glass.
The company will introduce two models: one without a screen that provides AI assistance through voice and sensor interaction, and another with an integrated display. The glasses will integrate Google’s Gemini AI system.
The move comes as the sector experiences rapid growth. Meta has sold more than two million pairs of its Ray-Ban-built AI glasses, helping drive a 250% year-on-year surge in smart-glasses sales in early 2025.
Analysts say Google must avoid repeating the missteps of Google Glass, which suffered from privacy concerns, awkward design, and limited functionality before being withdrawn in 2015.
Google’s renewed effort benefits from advances in AI and more mature consumer expectations, but challenges remain. Privacy, data protection, and real-world usability issues, core concerns during Google Glass’s first iteration, are expected to resurface as AI wearables become more capable and pervasive.
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