Google plans to launch smart glasses again in 2026, after its previous attempt to enter the market ended in failure. These smart glasses will be powered by artificial intelligence.
The company had unveiled Google Glass in 2013, and it was pulled from the market in 2015. It is now planning to re-enter the market with a cleaner look.
This product will let users interact with their AI products, including its chatbot Gemini. It plans to launch two versions — one designed to aid without any kind of screen, and another which has a display on the glasses themselves.
Google did not provide more details about what form the details will take. Technology analyst Paolo Pescatore told the BBC the tech firm “must avoid the pitfalls of its previous failed attempt.” “Arguably, the move was ahead of its time, poorly conceived and executed,” he said. “Now represents an opportune moment, thanks to the success of Gemini.”
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In order to succeed, the product will have to avoid the pitfalls of its predecessor. Google Glass was launched in 2013 as a pair of thin, wireframe glasses with a chunky right arm to accommodate a camera built into the corner of the right lens. Users could use the camera to take images and record their surroundings, while also interacting with a digital display.
The device had been heavily hyped during its initial release. However, after its launch, there were concerns about its impact on privacy, and potential for abuse. Questions about its usefulness also came up, and grew until Google said it would stop making them in that form in 2015. A revamped version, Google Glass Enterprise, appeared two years later but was retired in 2023.
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Google founder Sergey Brin recently said that launching Google Glass was “a mistake.” He said the company tried to “commercialize it too quickly,” before making it “cost-effective,” and “polished” from a commercial standpoint.
Google’s new product will face competition from Meta, which had earlier made waves with its smart glasses, two million pairs of which were sold as of February. Meta unveiled its AI-powered glasses earlier this year, having built on its existing collaborations with luxury eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley.
According to the market research firm Counterpoint Research, the sector saw a surge in the first half of 2025, driven by demand for Meta’s devices and the launch of similar products by smaller brands. The firm says sales of AI glasses had grown by more than 250% compared to the previous year.