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Android XR is Google’s new tech platform designed to run a fresh generation of high-tech smart glasses and mixed reality headsets, devices that blend the real world with digital elements, kind of like supercharged versions of VR or AR gear. It’s powered by AI, meaning it’ll use smart features to understand and react to the world around you in real-time.
So far, Android XR has been slow to roll out, we haven’t seen any actual products on store shelves yet. But that’s expected to change soon. Samsung is working on a headset called Project Moohan, which should be the first Android XR device to hit the market sometime in 2025.
Another upcoming gadget is from a company called Xreal, which is making smart glasses known as Project Aura. These are also expected to use Android XR.
Google is clearly betting big on these kinds of immersive devices, headsets and glasses that mix AI and digital visuals into everyday life. And at the heart of all this will be Gemini, Google’s powerful AI, which will be fully built into these gadgets to make them smarter and more useful.
This sets the stage for serious competition with Apple‘s Vision Pro and its visionOS. Google’s hoping Android XR will be a major player in the future of wearable tech.
So what is Android XR really about? It’s Google’s all-in-one platform for making headsets and glasses smart, connected, and AI-driven. And while there’s nothing to buy just yet, the first wave of these futuristic devices is expected soon, starting in 2025.
What is Android XR?
Android XR is Google’s brand-new operating system designed specifically for extended reality devices, things like virtual reality (VR) headsets, mixed reality (XR) gear, and smart glasses. Basically, it’s what will power the next generation of high-tech wearable devices that blend the digital world with the real one.
It’s part of the larger Android family, which already runs on smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, car dashboards, and TVs. Android XR simply takes that same foundation and adapts it for immersive tech, the kind you wear on your head or face.
Google is building Android XR in close partnership with big players like Samsung and Qualcomm. Samsung is working on hardware (like future headsets), while Qualcomm provides the powerful chips inside those devices. Together, they’re shaping what the XR experience will look and feel like.
For developers and creators, Android XR will feel familiar. It supports tools like Android Studio, Jetpack Compose, Unity, OpenXR, and ARCore, so app makers can build games, tools, and experiences for these XR devices in much the same way they already do for phones or tablets. That means more creativity, faster development, and tons of possibilities.
Google is also bringing many of its core apps, like Google Photos, Google Maps, Chrome, and YouTube, to the Android XR platform. So when the first headsets or smart glasses launch, users will already have access to a suite of useful, well-loved apps right out of the box.
Now, just to clear up confusion: Android XR is not Google Glass. Glass was Google’s early experiment back in 2013. Android XR is the next step, much more powerful, immersive, and part of a full ecosystem. It’s designed to expand Android’s presence far beyond the screen in your hand to the world you see around you.
In the big picture, Android XR will compete with platforms like Apple’s visionOS (used in the Vision Pro headset) and Meta’s Horizon OS (used in Quest headsets like the Quest 3 and 3S). All of them aim to shape the future of computing, where digital content lives right in front of your eyes, in the real world.
When to expect Android XR: Android XR release date
The first devices running on Android XR are expected to hit the market in the second half of 2025. According to what Samsung and Xreal have hinted at in press releases and earnings calls, they’ll likely be the first companies to launch products using this new platform.
Coming to the price, that’s still a bit of a mystery. The exact cost of Android XR headsets and smart glasses hasn’t been announced yet, and it’ll really depend on how Samsung and Xreal decide to price their upcoming gear. They’ll be the ones setting the bar.
That said, if we’re talking about Android XR-powered smart glasses, they’ll likely need to be priced similarly to other popular options like the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which start at around $300. So while we don’t have hard numbers yet, that gives us a ballpark idea of what to expect, especially on the smart glasses side.
Headsets, on the other hand, could be significantly pricier, especially if they come with advanced features like high-res displays, eye tracking, and AI-powered interaction. We’ll likely get clearer details as launch dates get closer.
What companies are making Android XR hardware
When people think of Android XR, Samsung is probably the first company that comes to mind. That’s because Samsung was the first to be mentioned when Google said it was coming back to the world of extended reality (XR).
Right now, everyone is waiting for Samsung’s new headset, called Project Moohan (that’s just the code name for now). Samsung said in a recent report that it plans to start exploring XR products in the second half of 2025.
Another big name in Android XR is Xreal. They have a headset called Project Aura, which they said will be the second Android XR device to launch. They plan to share more info at a big tech event called Augmented World Expo (AWE) in June 2025, with hopes to release the product later that year — around the same time as Samsung’s headset.
Other companies like Lynx and Sony are also involved in making Android XR devices. Qualcomm makes special chips called Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 that power these kinds of gadgets.
For smart glasses, Google is working on its own version, but it’s not ready for customers yet. Google has also teamed up with eyewear brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to make stylish smart glasses using Android XR, but there’s no set date for when those will come out.