It’s been over a decade since Google Glass good glasses have been introduced in 2013, adopted by way of their swift withdrawal – partly as a result of low adoption. Their next (and lesser recognized) 2d iteration was once launched in 2017 and aimed on the place of job. They have been withdrawn in 2023.
In December 2025, Google made a brand new promise for good glasses – with two new merchandise to be launched in 2026. However why have Google good glasses struggled the place others are succeeding? And can Google see good fortune the 3rd time round?
What is obvious from trends in wearable tech during the last decade, is that
a success merchandise are being constructed into issues that folks already love to put on:
watches, rings, bracelets and glasses.
Those are the sorts of equipment that experience emerged over centuries and lately followed as standard in society.
One of the most up-to-date instructional analysis is taking this method, construction
sensors into jewelry that folks would in reality wish to put on. Analysis has evolved a scale to measure the social acceptability of wearable era (the WEAR scale, or Wearable Acceptability Vary), which incorporates questions like: “I think my peers would find this device acceptable to wear.”
Noreen Kelly, from Iowa State College, and associates confirmed that at its core, this scale measured two issues: that the instrument helped other people succeed in a objective (that made it value dressed in), and that it didn’t create social nervousness about privateness and being observed as impolite.
This latter factor was once highlighted maximum prominently by way of the time period that emerged for
Google Glass customers: Glassholes. Even though many research have thought to be the possible advantages of good glasses, from psychological well being to make use of in surgical treatment, privateness issues and different problems are ongoing for more recent good glasses.
All that stated, “look-and-feel” helps to keep bobbing up the most typical fear for possible consumers. Essentially the most a success merchandise were designed to be fascinating as equipment first, and with good applied sciences 2d. Generally, actually, by way of dressmaker manufacturers.
A positive spectacle
After Google Glass, Snapchat launched good glasses known as “spectacles”, which had cameras inbuilt, concerned with model and have been extra simply approved into society. The now maximum distinguished good glasses have been launched by way of Meta (Fb’s mother or father corporate), in collaboration with dressmaker manufacturers like Ray-Ban and Oakley. All these merchandise come with entrance dealing with cameras and conversational voice agent
improve from Meta AI.
So what do we think to look from Google Good Glasses in 2026? Google has promised two merchandise: one this is audio best, and person who has “screens” proven at the lenses (like Google Glass).
The unique model of Google Glass was once launched in 2014.
Hattanas / Shutterstock
The largest assumption (in response to the promo movies) is that those will see an important trade in shape issue, from the futuristic if now not horrifying and unfamiliar design of Google Glass, to one thing this is extra in most cases observed as glasses.
Google’s announcement additionally centered at the addition of AI (actually, they introduced
them as “AI Glasses” somewhat than good glasses). The 2 sorts of product (audio
best AI Glasses, and AI Glasses with projections within the box of view), on the other hand, don’t seem to be particularly novel, even if blended with AI.
Meta’s Ray-Ban merchandise are to be had in each modes, and come with voice interplay with their very own AI. Those were extra a success than the hot Humane AI Pin, for instance, which integrated front-facing cameras, different sensors, and voice improve from an AI agent. This was once the nearest factor we’ve had thus far to the Famous person Trek lapel communicators.
Course of commute
Chances are high that, the principle instructions of innovation on this are, first, lowering the
chonkyness of good glasses, that have essentially been cumbersome to incorporate
electronics and nonetheless seem like which might be in most cases proportioned.
“Building glasses you’ll want to wear” is how Google words it, and so we would possibly see innovation from the corporate that simply improves the cultured of good glasses. They’re additionally operating with widespread emblem companions. Google additionally marketed the discharge of stressed XR (Combined Fact) glasses, which might be considerably lowered in shape issue in comparison to Digital Fact headsets available on the market.
2d, lets be expecting extra integration with different Google services, the place Google has many extra regularly used merchandise than Meta together with Google Seek, Google Maps, and GMail. Their promotional subject matter presentations examples of seeing Google Maps knowledge in view within the AI Glasses, whilst strolling in the course of the streets.
In any case, and in all probability the most important house of alternative, is to innovate at the inclusion of extra sensors, in all probability integrating with different Google wearable well being merchandise, the place we’re seeing many in their present ventures, together with introducing their very own good rings.
A lot analysis has concerned with issues that may be sensed from not unusual touchpoints at the head, which has integrated center price, frame temperature and galvanic pores and skin reaction (pores and skin moistness, which adjustments with, for instance, pressure), or even mind activation thru EEG for instance. With the present advances in shopper neurotechnology, lets simply see Good Glasses that use EEG to trace mind knowledge within the nextfew years.
