Android XR glasses could come soon - 5 features I want right away
Google and Samsung are partnering on mixed reality headsets, and these are the features I'd want to see on day one
🤖 Google and Samsung are working on extended reality headsets together
📱 The hardware will be powered by Android XR
📅 We expect the first headset to ship in 2025
✋ These are the five features I’d want to see right away
Google might be dropping “extended reality” glasses powered by Android in the near future, and it has my head racing with thoughts.
This morning came a surprising announcement: Google and Samsung are partnering to take on the Apple Vision Pros and Meta Ray-Bans of the world with a new take on a mixed reality platform and hardware. Called Android XR, the new operating system will land on Samsung-branded hardware, offering users a Google-focused alternative to the VR and AR headsets we’re familiar with.
It’s Google’s biggest attempt at a comeback since Google Glass died more than 10 years ago. Then, it tried Daydream VR but ultimately failed along the way. Samsung has shipped a headset here and there but could never make anything happen. The two companies have worked together on projects before like Wear OS and launching Android features at first on Galaxy phones, so it makes sense this day has come.
Of course, it’ll be a while before we see any hardware running Android XR on it, but Google has shared that it hopes to ship something in 2025. If it’s a pair of glasses or headset that blends physical and digital realities like the Vision Pro, my ears will certainly perk up. I’d be curious to see how the company pulls things off, and in order to do so, there are five features I’d need to have at launch to make it worth considering.
1. Google Gemini and third-party AI integration with worthwhile features upfront
The first Google-Samsung mixed reality headset needs to integrate with AI assistants, which Google says could become the “killer app” for headsets similar to how email and texting became killer apps for phones. I agree with that, but Google will need to do more than just throw Gemini on it.
It’ll also have to offer access to third-party AI models like ChatGPT in order to keep the openness of Android’s brand in fair play. It also needs to cook up features for the headset that lead users toward usage patterns where they feel satisfied by the headset’s capabilities. Otherwise, they’ll get lost in the vast sea of things you can do with an AI assistant and not know where to go, which will make them want to put the headset down. It’s one of the biggest issues with voice assistants, so here’s to hoping Google can avoid some of that with its first Android XR headset.
2. Android XR-designed apps
Google confirmed that Android XR will work with all Android apps, regardless of whether they’re designed for phones or tablets. That’s important since visionOS on the Apple Vision Pro can run iPhone and iPad apps, but it won’t be enough to sell Android XR to consumers.
Google will also need to make sure there are enough apps designed specifically for Android XR to enhance the experience. If not, you’ll be stuck using boring Android apps without your finger, a mouse, or a trackpad (otherwise known as pure hell). Over time, apps will be introduced specifically for Android XR, but I think there will need to be a lot to make buying the headset worth while.
3. Integration with my laptop
The Apple Vision Pro can rely on your MacBook to extend your work environment to more monitors virtually, which is a huge perk to owning it. While it’s unclear whether Google plans to do the same with macOS or Windows laptops, it would give the headset stronger feature parity with visionOS and make it useful for multitaskers who need to get work done. Productivity is an under appreciated aspect of mixed reality headsets, and if Google can get the feature right (and integrate with both platforms), it could be a game-changer for multitaskers everywhere.
4. An easy transition between virtual and augmented realities
There can’t be a fine line between using an Android XR in a completely virtual world and one that augments the physical world with digital interfaces. Google will need to work to ensure that it’s easy to transition between the two and keep workflows, content, and apps consistent across them so you have the option to immerse yourself when you want and re-enter the physical reality when you need to. That’s what Apple did with the Vision Pro, and it’ll take smart engineering from Samsung on the hardware front to ensure that experience blends well when paired with Android XR.
5. A (somewhat) reasonable asking price
There’s already speculation that the first Android XR headset could undercut the Vision Pro, and I have no problem voting for that myself. While headsets like the Meta Quest 3 are nearly six times cheaper than Apple’s headset, they can’t do as much to blend realities together and augment the physical world. Apple’s headset can, and it sounds like that’s the goal with Android XR, so there’s bound to be some expensive hardware and research taht goes into it.
I just hope that Google and Samsung don’t immediately target the high-end. Sure, this thing will probably cost upwards of $2,000 because it’s brand-new technology, but the $3,500 price tag has kept a lot of people away from hopping on the Vision Pro bandwagon. If Google and Samsung take a more conservative approach to pricing, it could do far better at appealing to the same potential Vision Pro customers who saving them money in the process.
We expect Google and Samsung to make even more announcements about its mixed reality collaboration in the future. Be sure to subscribe to The Shortcut so you don’t miss out.
Max Buondonno is a writer at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop.