Alphabet’s Google will release its first AI-powered smart glasses in 2026. The company is developing two distinct categories. The audio-only version facilitates hands-free interaction with the Gemini AI assistant, while an advanced model features an in-lens display for showing information like navigation and real-time translations. This initiative marks a major push into the AI wearables space. It presents a direct challenge to Meta, which currently boasts traction with its Ray-Ban smart glasses. To bring these products to market, Google formed strategic co-development partnerships with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster. The collaboration merges Google’s AI and augmented reality technology with the partners' hardware and fashion expertise, signaling a unified and serious effort following previous fragmented attempts in the smart-glasses market.