Google announced on December 8 that it will launch AI-powered smart glasses in 2026 through partnerships with Warby Parker, Samsung, and Gentle Monster, marking its return to the market a decade after discontinuing Google Glass.
The new glasses will feature Gemini AI assistant and come in two versions: screen-free audio glasses with speakers, microphones, and cameras, and display glasses with an in-lens screen for navigation and translation, with the audio version launching first.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin told Stanford students in late December he "jumped the gun" with the original Google Glass launch, admitting he thought he was "the next Steve Jobs" and commercialized the product too quickly before making it cost-effective and polished.
