Today, XREAL announced a set of “extended reality” glasses that run Google’s Android XR software, as the companies look to take on Meta and Apple over time in this new arena.

The launch marks an early step from Alphabet’s Google to become a major operating system for future virtual and augmented reality smart glasses and headsets, much like Android has turned into a default option for most smartphones.

XREAL, a Chinese company backed by Alibaba, calls its glasses Project Aura and describes them as a lightweight extended reality — or XR — product. XR is a broad term encompassing technologies that merge real and virtual worlds.

Android XR, Google’s operating system for these products, was launched last year and is infused with its AI assistant Gemini.

Samsung’s Project Moohan, a type of headset that looks to rival Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro, was the first device announced that runs Android XR. Samsung plans to launch the hardware this year.

XREALS’s Project Aura is the second device announced that will operate on Android XR, and it is the first such device in the glasses format.

Few details have been released about the tech, which was announced at the Google I/O conference. XREAL said the glasses will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR chips, which are specially designed for these pieces of hardware.

XREAL also said the glasses will be “tethered,” meaning they will connect to another device to run. The company has not yet provided details on what the glasses will need to be linked to.

The timeline and price of Project Aura were not immediately disclosed. XREAL will likely release a headset for developers to start experimenting and building apps first, then a consumer product at a later date.

For Google, the more devices that run Android XR, the more appealing it will be for developers to build apps for the operating system. A large part of any operating system’s success is the quality of apps available for users.

For XREAL, being an early partner with Google and working with Qualcomm will give it access to the latest technology in the XR space, as well as to marketing for its products. For more, read the full CNBC report. The images below came from the Google I/O event held today where they briefly showed Google Glasses with Android XR.

(Click on the Images below to enlarge)

Google noted that more information would be released on the glasses later this year for developers. The impression was the glasses would only debut in 2026.  Google did reveal that they’re partnering with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for the glasses.  While Google’s Glasses will provide a very nerdy design, perhaps one day they’ll choose to use a stylish design from Gentle Monster as the one noted below.  

Google’s glasses will rely on a smartphone to power Gemini AI. The short demo illustrated today at Google I/O illustrated a translation app, the use of Google Maps to direct a person to a destination while walking and more. Check out the video below dedicated to Google Glasses and Android XR.