Google Teams Up With Warby Parker to Develop Smart Glasses, Rivaling Meta’s Ray-Bans

• Google has teamed up with Warby Parker to develop smart glasses, posing a challenge Meta's Ray-Ban line.
• The partnership involves an investment totaling as much as $150 million, including up to $75 million allocated for development purposes.
• Google's Android XR platform encompasses transparent headsets and eyewear that facilitate both augmented reality and artificial intelligence functionalities.

Google is targeting Meta's Ray-Ban glasses with its own lineup of AI-enabled spectacles, designed in collaboration with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.

"Google’s Android XR leader, Shahram Izadi, stated that they aim for you to sport glasses that reflect your individual style," during his speech. Google I/O .

Part of Google's Android XR platform, these glasses represent a collaboration with Samsung. The tech giant unveiled this during their Google I/O developer conference on Tuesday. This platform encompasses transparent head-mounted displays along with spectacles designed for both augmented reality and artificial intelligence applications.

Google and Warby Parker intend to introduce multiple products, starting with a lineup of smart glasses featuring multimodal AI scheduled for release post-2025, as stated by the lifestyle eyewear company. said Android XR will also feature Project Moohan, the initial Android XR headgear device scheduled for release later this year.

Google has pledged up to $150 million for this collaboration, allocating as much as $75 million towards developing and launching products, along with an additional $75 million in equity investment. Following the announcement of their partnership, shares of Warby Parker have surged more than 15%.

During the event, Izadi mentioned that the prototype glasses "are already in use with selected testers." The Google VP did not provide additional information regarding their release date or cost. Although Gentle Monster positions itself as a high-end eyewear company, Warby Parker has gained recognition for providing fashionable yet reasonably priced alternatives.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg anticipated in January that 2025 might serve as a crucial year for the brand's development Ray-Ban smart glasses even if it doesn't represent a major advancement.

Meta's Ray-Ban smart eyewear, lacking augmented reality features at present, has emerged as one of the corporation’s select successful consumer electronic products. These spectacles enable wearers to capture images, broadcast live video streams, and utilize Meta AI through vocal commands.

In the recent earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned that the sales of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses have "multiplied threefold" over the last year. The pricing for Meta's Ray-Bans ranges from $300 to $500.

This year, Meta plans to launch an updated version of Ray-Ban glasses featuring a built-in display as their initial move into mainstream augmented reality products. As reported by Bloomberg, the anticipated model might retail for anywhere from $1,000 to $1,400.

In the meantime, Meta is working on a different set of advanced AR glasses known internally as "Artemis." The company plans to launch these by 2027. They are not related to either the Ray-Bans or "Orion"—an initial model that Meta presented earlier last year to showcase their aspirations for augmented reality technology.

Google is targeting Orion with its "Project Aura" smart glasses, which form part of their larger Android XR ecosystem. The Aura glasses come equipped with an integrated camera, microphone, speakers, and a lens-mounted display. They are currently undergoing testing phases.

Over the past ten years, Google has delved into the development of smart glasses, experiencing several setbacks such as with Google Glass, which ceased operations in 2023 following its debut in 2013. At last year’s I/O conference, Google hinted at Project Astra, showcasing how Google Assistant might function if capable of perceiving and understanding its surroundings audibly and visually. The company's Chief Executive Officer stated this information. Sundar Pichai hinted that Google was developing prototype models. for an AI assistant that might come in the form of glasses."

On Tuesday during I/O, Google presented a live showcase of the Project Aura eyewear, illustrating how wearers can send messages to friends, schedule appointments, request directions, and capture images. The event also featured a real-time language translation function, although it seemed somewhat unstable during the presentation; nonetheless, it provided an intriguing initial glimpse into the potential capabilities of this technology.

At Google I/O, various new product releases and artificial intelligence enhancements were unveiled, featuring an interactive conversational mode for search known as AI Mode, alongside generative AI tools such as Veo 3 and Imagen 4.

If you liked this tale, make sure to follow Business Insider on MSN.

Bagikan Artikel ini