13 Sources
[1]
Google commits $150M to develop AI glasses with Warby Parker
Google says it will commit up to $150 million to the consumer eyewear company Warby Parker to jointly develop AI-powered smart glasses based on Android XR, the companies said on Tuesday during Google I/O 2025. Google has already committed $75 million to Warby Parker's product development and commercialization costs, the companies said in a press release. Google says it will invest an additional $75 million, taking an equity stake in Warby Parker, should the eyewear manufacturer meet certain milestones. At Google I/O 2025, Google also announced partnerships with several companies to develop smart glasses with Gemini AI and AR capabilities, including Samsung and Gentle Monster. Google seems to be taking a page out of Meta's smart glasses strategy. Meta has found success partnering and investing in the Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica to develop its smart glasses. Part of the reason behind Ray-Ban Meta's success is that the smart glasses have an attractive, familiar design and they're being sold in Ray-Ban stores. It seems likely that Google will have a similar relationship with Warby Parker, taking advantage of the eyewear company's popular frame designs and perhaps its retail stores. In the press release, Warby Parker and Google said they intend to launch a series of products over time. Their first line of eyewear will launch "after 2025" and will incorporate multimodal AI with prescription and non-prescription glasses.
[2]
Google, Warby Parker partner to give Glass a glowup
Chocolate Factory comes for Meta's Ray-Bans with Warby Parker partnership Google I/O Google and eyeglass maker Warby Parker have partnered to create a more stylish successor to Google Glass, which cofounder Sergey Brin quipped will actually be polished before launch this time. Brin dropped in on a fireside chat between journalist Alex Kantrowitz and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis at Google I/O on Tuesday, where the conversation shifted to the newly announced partnership with Warby Parker. The deal could see Google invest up to $150 million: $75 million for product development and commercialization, plus another $75 million in potential equity investment, if the eyeglass outfit opts in and hits its milestones. The duo aims to build wearables that compete with Meta's chunky Ray-Bans. The Chocolate Factory chose Warby Parker for their "optical expertise" and "omnichannel approach," Google XR GM and VP Shahram Izadi said in a statement in the press release. There's some irony in the move. The search behemoth was the first big tech name to invest in wearable computing, unveiling Google Glass in 2012 and rolling out early units to developers in 2013. Glass wasn't exactly glasses, but a small so-called "prism" perched above the right eye that projected data into the user's peripheral vision. But the project unraveled after the device's built-in video recording feature caused a low-scale privacy freakout. Detractors coined the name "Glassholes" for the early testers who wore the product in public. One Glass wearer said she got attacked in a San Francisco bar, and a journalist had his pair ripped off his face and destroyed in public. This early bad publicity, alongside a high price and limited functionality, eventually doomed the project. I made a lot of mistakes with Google Glass, I'll be honest On Tuesday, the Google cofounder was self-effacing when asked about the failed project, admitting that he still believed in glasses as a form factor but admitting mistakes were made in rolling them out. "I made a lot of mistakes with Google Glass, I'll be honest," Brin said. Part of the reason for that failure, he said, was Brin's own naivete about the logistics of making a consumer-friendly product. "I just didn't know anything about consumer electronic supply chains," Brin admitted. He added that his ignorance meant it was nearly impossible to give the $1,500 headset a reasonable price point. Wearers looking like jackasses and being dubbed "glassholes" probably didn't help either. Optics aside, Brin also said that a technology gap between the Google Glass dream and the technological realities of 2013 also contributed to its failure. That gap has now been bridged with the introduction of multimodal AI and the ability to build a device that looks like glasses "without constantly distracting you," said Brin. The new Warby Parker smart specs will run on Android XR, Google's platform for extended reality devices, and integrate with its so-called "universal assistant," built on Gemini and Project Astra, and pitched as smart enough to understand context across devices. "Universal assistant is the killer app for smart glasses," Hassabis said. Some actual product testing is likely to help, too. "I miss the airship with the wingsuit skydivers with the demo," Brin said of the 2012 Google Glass unveiling video and the decidedly less flashy Warby Parker announcement. "But we should probably polish the product first this time, make sure it's ready and available and then do a really cool demo," Brin said. "That's probably a smart move." So get ready for a new generation of considerably more inconspicuous Glassholes to show up on city streets - eventually. For now, we'll just have to settle for Mark Zuckerberg's obnoxiously ever-present Ray-Bans as the sign that a pair of AI-powered, camera-touting glasses are watching our every public move. ®
[3]
Wall Street gets bullish on a surprising new AI play: Warby Parker
Analysts are cheering Warby Parker 's smart glasses partnership with Google . As part of the deal announced Tuesday, Google committed as much as $150 million. Half of that goes toward product development, and half to Warby Parker if specific collaboration milestones are set. The first line of products from the partnership is expected "after 2025." Products in the collaboration will utilize Google's Android XR operating system. The Android XR will include Google's Gemini artificial intelligence assistant, meaning Warby Parker could get in on the stock market's AI hype. Warby Parker shares surged more than 15% Tuesday and held on to the gain Wednesday, when the stock rose as much as 4% in early trading. The eyewear retailer is ahead 48% in one month and nearly 23% over the past year. WRBY 1Y mountain Warby Parker over the past 12 months. Wall Street sees some room for Warby to score further gains. The average analyst polled by LSEG has a buy rating with a consensus price target that suggests shares may rise another 4%. Here's what some analysts said in notes to clients about what the Alphabet deal means for Warby: Baird Analyst Mark Altschwager has an outperform rating and a $24 price target, implying upside of 18% over Tuesday's close. "While there is much to learn, this is an exciting announcement that can both drive Warby Parker brand awareness and create a new revenue stream in an emerging category (adding to the open-ended growth nature of our Warby Parker thesis). While we don't have a great sense of what the consumer adoption curve might look like for smart glasses, the $75 million investment in product development/commercialization should lower the risk profile for Warby (with option for further capital infusion at Warby's discretion)." TD Cowen Analyst Oliver Chen has a buy rating and lifted his price target by $4 to $24, also suggesting 18% upside. "Longer-term, key benefits could include: (1) enhancing existing customer lifetime value, (2) inspire other wearable technology development, and (3) help drive a continuous focus on tech meets customer centricity. We estimate the U.S. [total addressable market] of Smart Glasses could be $2-4bn by 2030 vs. WRBY's current revenue of ~$800mm" in the last 12 months. Citi Analyst Paul Lejuez hiked his price target by $5 to $22, translating into 8% potential upside. He has a neutral rating. "We are increasing our revenue growth estimates in F26E and beyond, as the new AI glasses likely expand WRBY's addressable market. Importantly, the adoption of everyday smart glasses has been relatively slow, so we are taking a conservative view on the growth potential." Stifel Analyst Jim Duffy raised his price target by $3 to $21, suggesting upside of 3%, and carries an investment recommendation of hold, citing execution risk. "Overall, we view the partnership as potential exposure to the fast-growing wearables segment and gives Google a renewed, and potentially more viable, pathway into mainstream smart glasses. With a greater TAM upon commercialization (beyond 2025) and credible backing, we see WRBY deserving of a more premium multiple." Telsey Advisory Group Analyst Dana Telsey has an outperform rating and a $22 price target, equal to 8% potential upside. "This partnership reflects WRBY's disruptive and innovative positioning within the optical market, in our view. The investment indicates the trust Google has in Warby Parker to help bring this next generation of smart glasses to market. While the glasses are not expected to be commercially available until after 2025, we believe there will likely be quite a bit of buzz around the technologies leading up to and upon launch. We anticipate this could be a boon to store traffic as people (WRBY customers and future ones) head to Warby Parker showrooms to test out the AI-powered glasses in person."
[4]
Why Google working with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster gives me confidence about the future of smart glasses
Google's unveiling of a new line of AI-fueled smart glasses built on the Android XR platform was only one of dozens of announcements at Google I/O this year. Even so, one facet in particular caught my eye as more important than it might have seemed to a casual viewer. While the idea of wearing AI-powered lenses that can whisper directions into your ears while projecting your to-do list onto a mountain vista is exciting, it's how you'll look while you use them that grabbed my attention. Specifically, Google's partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to design their new smart glasses. The spectre of Google Glass and the shadow cast by the so-called Glassholes weraring them went unmentioned, but it's not hard to see the partnerships as part of a deliberate strategy to avoid repeating the mistakes made a decade ago. Wearing Google Glass might have said, "I'm wearing the future," but it also hinted, "I might be filming you without your consent." No one will think that Google didn't consider the fashion aspect of smart glasses this time. Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration is based on a similar impulse. If you want people to wear computers on their faces, you have to make them look good. Warby Parker and Gentle Monster are known for creating glasses that appeal to millennials and Gen Z, both in look and price. "Warby Parker is an incredible brand, and they've been really innovative not only with the designs that they have but also with their consumer retail experience. So we're thrilled to be partnered with them," said Sameer Samat, president of Google's Android Ecosystem, in an interview with Bloomberg. "I think between Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, they're going to be great designs. First and foremost, people want to wear these and feel proud to wear them." Wearables are not mini smartphones, and treating them that way has proven to be a mistake. Just because you want to scroll through AR-enhanced dog videos doesn't mean you don't want to look good simultaneously. Plus, smart glasses may be the best way to integrate generative AI like Google Gemini into hardware. Compared to the struggles of the Humane AI Pin, the Rabbit R1, and the Plaud.ai NotePin, smart glasses feel like a much safer bet. We already live in a world saturated with wearable tech. Smartwatches are ubiquitous, and wireless earbuds also have microphones and biometric sensors. Glasses occupy a lot of your face's real estate, though. They're a way people identify you far more than your watch. Augmented reality devices sitting on your nose need to be appealing, no matter which side of the lenses you look at. Combine that with what the smart glasses offer wearers, and you have a much stronger product. They don't have to do everything, just enough to justify wearing them. The better they look, the less justification you need for the tech features. Teaming up with two companies that actually understand design shows that Google understands that. Google isn't pretending to be a fashion house. They're outsourcing style strategies to people who know what they're doing. Google seems to have learned that if smart glasses are going to work as a product, they need to blend in with other glasses, not proclaim to the world that someone is wearing them. How much they cost will matter, as setting smart glasses prices to match high-end smartphones will slow adoption. But if Google leverages Warby Parker and Gentle Monster's direct-to-consumer experience to keep prices reasonable, they might entice a lot more people, and possibly undercut their rivals. People are used to spending a few hundred dollars on prescription glasses a reasonably sized extra charge for AI will be just another perk, like polarized prescription sunglasses. Success here might also ripple out to smaller, but fashionable eyewear brands. Your favorite boutique frame designer might eventually offer 'smart' as a category, like they do with transition lenses today. Google is making a bet that people will choose to wear technology if it looks like something they would choose to wear anyway, and a bet on people wanting to look good is about as safe a bet I can imagine.
[5]
Your next pair of Warby Parkers might secretly house a Google AI
Google has committed up to $150 million to Warby Parker to co-develop Android XR-based AI-powered smart glasses, with $75 million already allocated for product development and commercialization. An additional $75 million is contingent upon Warby Parker meeting specific milestones, in exchange for an equity stake. The partnership was unveiled at Google I/O 2025, alongside announcements of similar collaborations with Samsung and Gentle Monster for smart glasses integrating Gemini AI and AR capabilities. This strategy mirrors Meta's successful approach with EssilorLuxottica (Ray-Ban), leveraging existing design appeal and retail channels. Warby Parker's popular frame designs and potential retail integration are expected to play a key role in the venture. The first line of smart glasses, set to launch after 2025, will feature multimodal AI across both prescription and non-prescription models. Subsequent products are planned as part of a broader series. The partnership is the latest in Google's efforts to establish a presence in the smart glasses market, following the announcement of collaborations with other industry players.
[6]
Google Is Making AI 'Intelligent Eyewear' With Warby Parker After Eyeing Meta's Ray-Ban Success
Meta's Ray-Ban glasses were an unexpected hit, with over two million pairs sold since their October 2023 debut. Now, Google is committing to enter the space with its own version of AI glasses, in partnership with eyewear company Warby Parker. Google announced the partnership at its I/O conference on Tuesday, committing $150 million to develop the frames with Warby Parker. The investment will be split into $75 million for product development and commercialization fees and an additional $75 million as an investment in Warby Parker if the glasses meet certain unspecified collaboration targets. Related: Meta Is Reportedly Working on Smart Glasses With a Screen -- at a Price Point $1,000 More Than Its Ray-Bans In a press release, Warby Parker and Google stated that they plan to launch multiple smart glasses over time, with the first pair to launch "after 2025." The smart glasses will incorporate AI features and have both prescription and non-prescription options. "We're excited to work with Google to develop intelligent eyewear that will enhance our everyday lives," Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO Neil Blumenthal stated in the press release. "The eyewear we wear and the technology we use are core parts of our identity and our daily experience." There are no details yet about how much the smart glasses will cost or when exactly they will hit the market. Google stated in a blog post that Warby Parker and Korean luxury eyewear brand Gentle Monster will be the initial partners for its smart glasses, and it will eventually work with other companies like French luxury brand Kering Eyewear to give users more options. Google's Android XR lead, Shahram Izadi, first gave a live demo of a prototype of Google smart glasses on the TED stage last month. The glasses look like a normal pair of lightweight glasses, but come packed with a mini camera, microphones, speakers, and a color display embedded in the lens. They can link to Google's Gemini AI assistant through simple voice commands. At Google I/O on Tuesday, Izadi gave a more detailed live demo of a prototype of the glasses, showing how they could send text messages and take photos through voice commands. The glasses correctly answered questions about objects in the external world, like what band was displayed on a poster, and remembered details about what they saw, like the name of a coffee shop on a cup. The smart glasses could also translate from one language to another in real-time. If two people were both wearing the smart glasses and one person spoke in a non-English language, the other person's glasses could translate the words to English in real-time. Google markets the feature as having "subtitles for the real world." The smart glasses work in tandem with Android phones and allow users to access their apps through voice commands without touching their phone screens. Related: Amazon Wants to Deliver Packages Faster With Secret Smart Glasses. Here's How. The glasses will be built on Google's Android XR platform, which Google launched in December with Qualcomm and Samsung. The platform supports app development on multiple devices, like headsets and smart glasses. Google also announced on Tuesday that it would deepen its AI efforts and advance AI-powered search. The tech giant is introducing a new search option called "AI Mode" to all users in the U.S. starting Tuesday, so that they can access an AI answer to their queries instead of a standard Google Search results page.
[7]
Warby Parker (WRBY) Shares Surge On Google Smart Glasses Partnership: What's Going On? - Warby Parker (NYSE:WRBY)
Warby Parker Inc WRBY shares have jumped 18.7% this week to $20.52 following the announcement of a strategic partnership with Google. What To Know: The collaboration aims to develop AI-powered smart glasses designed for all-day wear, combining Warby Parker's design expertise with Google's advanced technology and Android XR platform. Google's commitment to the project includes up to $150 million in total support, with $75 million allocated for product development and an additional $75 million in optional equity investment contingent on milestone achievements. The first generation of these intelligent eyewear, available with both prescription and non-prescription lenses, is expected to launch after 2025. Warby Parker Co-CEOs Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal highlighted the potential of multimodal AI in glasses to enhance daily interactions and elevate everyday experiences through a blend of design, utility and innovation. Read Also: Lowe's CEO Calls Out Near-Term Housing Market Challenges But Holds The Line On Outlook How To Buy WRBY Stock By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Warby Parker - be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company. Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy "fractional shares," which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share. In the case of Warby Parker, which is trading at $20.52 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 4.87 shares of stock. If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to "go short" a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading - either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline. According to data from Benzinga Pro, WRBY has a 52-week high of $28.68 and a 52-week low of $12.46. WRBYWarby Parker Inc$20.631.40%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum61.10Growth77.11Quality-Value54.74Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
[8]
Analyst Deems Warby Parker's Google Tie-Up 'Emblematic of Long-Term Disruption' - Warby Parker (NYSE:WRBY)
TD Securities analyst Oliver Chen maintained a Buy rating on Warby Parker WRBY, raising the price forecast from $20 to $24. Chen commented on Warby Parker's newly announced collaboration with Google to create AI-enabled smart glasses designed for all-day use and compatible with both Android and iOS. As part of the deal, Google is committing $75 million toward product development and commercialization and may invest an additional $75 million in Warby Parker stock over several years at the company's discretion. Also Read: Sergey Brin Comes Out Of Retirement To Work On Gemini, Admits He Made A 'Lot Of Mistakes' With Google Glass As Alphabet Ramps Up To Compete With Meta And Apple Chen sees the partnership as a strong signal of Warby Parker's long-term commitment to innovation and its potential to continue disrupting the eyewear industry. According to the analyst, Warby Parker's AI-powered glasses initiative with Google must succeed by leveraging advanced, context-aware AI, integrating seamlessly with everyday tools like Google Maps, and featuring versatile, stylish designs. Chen highlights that Warby's strong "direct-to-consumer" model and customer service could further enhance the offering, potentially boosting traffic to its 287 existing stores and increasing brand visibility and customer growth. Over the long term, Chen sees the partnership improving customer lifetime value, encouraging broader wearable tech development, and reinforcing Warby's tech-forward, customer-centric approach. Get StartedEarn 7.2% -- No Matter What the Fed Does Markets expect rate cuts -- but your earnings don't have to suffer. Lock in 7.2% until 2028 from ten individual bonds. Get Started The analyst estimates the U.S. smart glasses market could reach $2-$4 billion by 2030, compared to Warby Parker's current ~$800 million revenue. Reflecting the expanded total addressable market and acquisition potential, Chen raised his price forecast, implying a 23x EV/EBITDA multiple on FY26E estimates. The analyst views Warby Parker's status as a public benefit corporation as a strategic advantage, aligning profit growth with its global mission to make high-quality vision care more accessible. He points to the company's long-term financial model, which targets over 20% annual revenue growth, gross margins in the 58% to 60% range, and EBITDA margin gains of around 20%, with steady annual expansion of 1 to 2 percentage points. Price Action: WRBY shares are trading higher by 3.05% to $20.96 at last check Wednesday. Read Next: Mark Zuckerberg Warns Of 'Serious Disadvantage' As China's Data-Center Blitz Could Let DeepSeek Leapfrog US AI Labs Image by Ritu Manoj Jethani via Shutterstock WRBYWarby Parker Inc$20.551.03%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentum61.10Growth77.11Quality-Value54.74Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
[9]
Why Warby Parker Stock Raced 16% Higher on AI News Tuesday | The Motley Fool
That tech company is none other than Google owner Alphabet (GOOG -1.63%) (GOOGL -1.63%). Warby Parker revealed in a press release that it is teaming with Google to develop a line of advanced eyeglasses that harness artificial intelligence (AI) technology. These products would be suitable for everyday use. Warby Parker and Google intend to launch the first of these products after this year. In the press release, the former company did not get more specific. As for the business arrangement between the pair, Google is committing up to $75 million to cover its partner's development and commercialization expenses. It's also pledged to a direct investment into Warby Parker, again of up to $75 million. The latter is contingent upon Warby Parker's option, and the achievement of certain, unspecified collaboration milestones. It's exciting that Warby Parker has teamed with a tech behemoth like Google, especially considering Alphabet's eager pursuit of -- and financial commitment to -- developing useful and potentially groundbreaking new technology. A possible cash infusion of as much as $150 million is quite the sweetener, too. While details are lacking for this project at the moment, it's indisputably a boon for the eyeglass maker. Investors are right to be hot on the stock following this news.
[10]
Google to Partner With Eyewear Brands on AI-Equipped Smart Glasses | PYMNTS.com
The firm said this in a Tuesday blog post announcing that it has partnered with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to create Android XR-equipped glasses that are stylish and comfortable enough to wear all day. In the future, it will add other partners. "What if your AI assistant could see the world from your perspective and offer hands-free help? That's the vision driving our latest advancements in Android XR," Shahram Izadi, vice president and general manager, Android XR at Google, wrote in the post. "It's the first Android platform built in the Gemini era, and it powers an ecosystem of headsets, glasses and everything in between." The addition of Gemini to glasses will make a "giant leap forward" in the smart glasses Google has been working on for the past decade, Izadi wrote. These glasses will be equipped with a camera, microphone and speakers and will work with the user's phone to enable access to apps without having to hold the phone, according to the post. With these tools and capabilities, Android XR-equipped smart glasses will privately provide information to the user when needed through an optional in-lens display; understand the user's context by joining AI with tools that see and hear; provide live language translation; and help with tasks like messaging friends, making appointments, asking for directions and taking photos, per the post. To create these smart glasses, Google has extended its existing partnership with Samsung to include glasses as well as headsets, according to the post. "Together, we're creating a software and reference hardware platform that will enable the ecosystem to make great glasses," Izadi wrote. "Developers will be able to start building for this platform later this year." Google introduced Android XR in December, saying that it developed the operating system in collaboration with Samsung and that Android XR will first launch on headsets built by Samsung.
[11]
Warby Parker stock soars on Google AI glasses partnership By Investing.com
Investing.com -- Warby Parker Inc (NYSE:WRBY) shares surged 17.8% following the announcement of a strategic partnership with tech giant Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to develop AI-powered eyewear. The collaboration signifies a bold move into the next generation of computing, integrating Warby Parker's eyewear design with Google's advanced technology ecosystem. The New York-based lifestyle brand, known for its direct-to-consumer approach, will work closely with Google to create smart glasses that offer all-day wearability. Warby Parker's co-founders expressed enthusiasm for the venture, emphasizing the potential of multimodal AI to revolutionize the wearer's interaction with their environment. Google's commitment to the partnership includes up to $75 million designated for product development and commercialization, along with a potential equity investment of a similar amount, contingent on achieving certain milestones. This financial backing reflects a long-term investment in Warby Parker's vision and marks the first eyewear collaboration for Android XR. The companies anticipate launching their initial line of intelligent eyewear after 2025, which will feature both prescription and non-prescription lenses equipped with AI capabilities. This initiative aligns with Warby Parker's history of leveraging technology to enhance customer experiences and Google's expertise in creating innovative products. The announcement has evidently resonated with investors, as Warby Parker's stock has experienced a significant uptick. The market's reaction underscores the strategic importance of the partnership, which could redefine the intersection of technology and personal accessories.
[12]
Warby Parker Inc. Partners with Google to Develop Intelligent Eyewear
Warby Parker Inc. announced a partnership with Google to develop AI-powered glasses intended for all-day wear. The partnership will combine Warby Parker's signature approach to eyewear design with Google's technology ecosystem, bringing the next generation of computing to a new form factor: glasses. The partners' first line of intelligent eyewear, planned to launch after 2025, will incorporate multimodal AI with prescription and non-prescription lenses. As part of this collaboration, Google has committed up to $75 million for Warby Parker's product development and commercialization costs. In addition, Google has committed to investing up to $75 million in Warby Parker, at Warby Parker's option and subject to reaching certain collaboration milestones.
[13]
Google invests $150 million in collaboration with Warby Parker to develop AI glasses 
During Google I/O 2025, Google announced it will invest up to in a collaboration with eyewear brand Warby Parker to develop smart glasses with artificial intelligence, based on the Android XR platform. This collaboration marks another move by Google into the wearable technology market, following previous efforts such as Google Glass. Google's investment consists of two parts: 75 million is allocated directly to product development and commercialization costs. In addition, there is a contingent investment of another 75 million, which will allow Google to take an equity stake in depending on achieving certain milestones. The new smart glasses will be equipped with multimodal AI functionality, including voice-activated assistance via Google's Gemini AI, augmented reality capabilities, and support for both prescription and non-prescription lenses. The glasses are designed for everyday use and will offer features such as navigation, messaging and real-time translation. The first line of these smart glasses is expected after 2025. Prototypes are currently being tested by selected users, but details on price and availability have not yet been announced.
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Google commits up to $150 million to collaborate with Warby Parker on developing AI-powered smart glasses, signaling a renewed push into wearable tech and AI integration.
Google has announced a significant partnership with Warby Parker, committing up to $150 million to jointly develop AI-powered smart glasses. This collaboration, unveiled at Google I/O 2025, marks a renewed push by the tech giant into the wearable technology sector 1.
The investment is structured in two parts:
The partnership aims to launch a series of products over time, with the first line of eyewear expected to debut "after 2025". These smart glasses will incorporate multimodal AI and will be available in both prescription and non-prescription options 1.
Source: Entrepreneur
The new smart glasses will run on Android XR, Google's platform for extended reality devices. They will integrate with Google's "universal assistant," built on Gemini and Project Astra, designed to understand context across devices 2.
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, emphasized the importance of this integration, stating, "Universal assistant is the killer app for smart glasses" 2.
Source: Benzinga
The announcement has sparked enthusiasm among Wall Street analysts, with several upgrading their outlook for Warby Parker. The stock surged over 15% following the news, reflecting investor optimism about the company's entry into the AI-powered wearables market 3.
Analysts from firms such as Baird, TD Cowen, and Telsey Advisory Group have raised their price targets for Warby Parker, citing the potential for increased brand awareness and a new revenue stream in an emerging category 3.
Source: Benzinga
This partnership appears to be Google's response to Meta's successful collaboration with Ray-Ban. By leveraging Warby Parker's popular frame designs and retail presence, Google aims to create smart glasses that are both technologically advanced and stylish 4.
Sameer Samat, president of Google's Android Ecosystem, highlighted the importance of design, stating, "First and foremost, people want to wear these and feel proud to wear them" 4.
The partnership seems to address lessons learned from Google's previous attempt at smart glasses, Google Glass. Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, acknowledged past mistakes, particularly in terms of product readiness and market approach 2.
Brin emphasized the importance of thorough product testing and preparation this time around, stating, "We should probably polish the product first this time, make sure it's ready and available and then do a really cool demo" 2.
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