Google aims to power luxury smart sunglasses with Android XR and has partnered with Gentle Monster, Warby Parker, and Kering Eyewear for hardware development.
Partnering with established eyewear brands avoids Google entering the hardware production, a wise move given the challenges of designing diverse spectacles for mass appeal.
Gentle Monster, known for futuristic designs and tech integration, is an exciting partner that's previously ventured into smartglasses and AR technologies.
Warby Parker, with classic designs and a direct sales approach, appeals to a broader market and receives a $150 million investment from Google for new smart glasses.
Kering Eyewear, a luxury conglomerate, will integrate Google's XR platform to offer fashion-forward smart eyewear with iconic styles from various brands.
Collaborating ensures diverse face shapes and tastes are catered to, mirroring the success of Meta's Ray-Ban partnership by covering a wide range of preferences.
Google's Android XR platform aims to deliver a seamless user experience like Wear OS for smartwatches, focusing on reliability to avoid tarnishing its partners' reputations.
The success of luxury smart glasses depends on Android XR seamlessly blending in, being user-friendly, and impressing with effortless functionality to appeal to a broad audience.
While release dates are unclear, the partnership signals Google's strategic shift towards high-tech eyewear, potentially overcoming past challenges with Glass and offering advanced smart eyewear experiences.
By collaborating with industry experts, Google is poised to set a new standard in luxury smart eyewear with Android XR, promising a sophisticated and seamless integration of technology and fashion.