Google's new smart glasses take on Meta with Gemini AI and promises of better privacy

Google is aiming to revive the smart glasses concept it pioneered in 2013, but faced backlash over privacy issues at that time. In contrast, Meta is currently grappling with similar concerns over its own smart glasses and Apple is reportedly weighing up its own entry into the market. Google's latest attempt features two new pairs of smart glasses, priced between $400 and $500, available in various colors and styles. These glasses run on Google's Android XR platform, incorporating the company's Gemini AI and software suite.

Similar to Meta's devices, Google's smart glasses can be activated with voice commands. They can provide audio descriptions of what the 12MP camera captures, offer turn-by-turn directions using Google Maps, and more. The glasses also include a Guided Vision mode, which uses audio descriptions to aid visually impaired users. Both companies employ similar hardware specifications, with cameras recording video in 3K resolution at 30fps, weighing around 41 grams, and powered by a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 SoC with 64GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM, offering up to 9 hours of battery life.

To prevent the privacy controversy that plagued Google Glass in 2013, Google has emphasized several new privacy features. Gemini AI encrypts all data, refrains from saving camera visuals or using them for AI training, and automatically blurs out faces in recorded footage. Users can also manage which apps can access the camera, erase Gemini's history, and switch the smart glasses back to regular glasses with a simple off switch.

The effectiveness of these measures in addressing privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses remains to be seen.

These new smart glasses have already stirred up controversy, with bans in New York courthouses and potential temporary bans in Norway pending further debate. Reports of cheating in schools, surreptitious recording, and even courtroom coaching using smart glasses have raised alarm. Meta's glasses have been accused of recording conversations without voice commands, and data labelers have reportedly witnessed intimate recordings. Apple reportedly delayed its smart glasses rollout to consider its approach to privacy issues.