mented eyewear and a direct challenge to Meta’s partnership with Ray-Ban and Oakley. “This move positions Google to directly compete with Meta, Ray Ban and Oakley in the smart glasses space,” said Alexis Bonhomme, founder of retail consultancy Trinity Asia. “Unlike Google Glass in 2013, today’s offering will blend sleek hardware, AI (Google’s Gemini), slim AR displays, live transtraction, and real-time navigation – built on the more mature Android XR platform.”  Learning from failure Google’s previous attempt at smart glasses, launched in 2013, was a cautionary tale for tech hardware makers. Google’s augmented reality (AR) glasses were plagued by hardware flaws, including overheating, short battery life and a steep price point. Just two years after launch, Google shelved the product, though it quietly continued development for enterprise applications. This time, Google appears to understand that form is as important as function. “Because tech wants to look better and be worn,” said Monica San Joe Roca, retail consultant at Retail Escool. “Ray Ban and Oakley proved that people won’t wear smart glasses if they look like gadgets.  “Google understands that AI will live in what we wear, and that means the product must be more than functional,” she added.  Why Gentle Monster? Gentle Monster, founded in 2011 by Kim Hankook, has built a global fashion following thanks to its avant-garde eyewear and immersive retail experiences. With stores across Asia, Europe and the US, the brand is known as much for its conceptual design language as for its celebrity endorsements. “Gentle Monster offers what Google can’t build in-house: cultural capital and fashion credibility,” Roca said.  Google’s investment in Gentle Monster signals a broader shift among tech companies moving from purely functional technology toward fashionable wearables. “Gentle Monster is smart enough to know that the eyewear market is shifting from optical and fashion to connected devices,” said Roca. “By joining early, they’re positioning themselves not just as a style leader, but as one of the first fashion brands to enter the smart wearables space on their own terms.”  From utility to wearability  In May, Google announced it was collaborating with leading eyewear brands, starting with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, to create stylish glasses with Android XR.  “And in the future, we look forward to working with more partners, like Kering Eyewear, to bring even more options to users,” Google said in its statement.  The partnership also builds on Google’s existing collaboration with Samsung, expanding Android XR beyond VR headsets into smart eyewear. “Together, we’re creating a software and reference hardware platform that will enable the ecosystem to make great glasses. Developers will be able to start building for this platform later this year,” the company said.  The timing of this push is no coincidence. According to Grand View Research, the global smart glasses market size was estimated at $1.93 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $8.26 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 27.3 per cent from 2025 to 2030. Google is not alone in this renewed race for wearable dominance. Earlier this month, Meta announced it is collaborating with Oakley to introduce a new product line that will combine Oakley’s signature design DNA with Meta’s technology. The line will launch in a new global campaign starring Team Oakley athletes: World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.  Meanwhile, Xiaomi introduced its first AI glasses at its “Human x Car x Home” product event in Beijing. The glasses allow users to capture first-person video and photos via voice command, recognisze objects, perform real-time translation, and even scan QR codes for payments. They’re powered by Xiaomi’s proprietary XiaoAI assistant. “We’re watching the real convergence of fashion, tech and AI and eyewear is becoming the interface,” Roca said. “XR is not only about headsets for gaming. It’s becoming a wearable platform for everyday life starting with glasses, but not ending there.”  Further reading: Step into the AI-driven store of the future, where trust and tech collide.