{"id":850200,"date":"2025-05-22T04:12:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T09:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/22\/google-has-its-sights-set-on-your-next-pair-of-luxury-sunglasses\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T04:12:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T09:12:28","slug":"google-has-its-sights-set-on-your-next-pair-of-luxury-sunglasses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/22\/google-has-its-sights-set-on-your-next-pair-of-luxury-sunglasses\/","title":{"rendered":"Google has its sights set on your next pair of luxury sunglasses"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"dt-post-content\" itemid=\"post-content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p>Make no mistake, Google wants to run the technology inside your first pair of luxury smart sunglasses, but it\u2019s not leaving the looks to chance or for its own internal designers to handle. Instead it\u2019s turning to established eyewear partners with experience in the space it clearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/google-smart-glassses-acquire-adhawk-report\/\" rel>wants to dominate<\/a>, as it aims to make Android XR the go-to software for eyewear brands to adopt.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Big names with the right experience\u00a0<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Google I\/O '25 Keynote\" width=\"100%\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o8NiE3XMPrM?start=5861&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>During the keynote presentation for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/google-i-o-2025-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" data-tooltip-added=\"true\" rel>Google I\/O 2025<\/a>, the company\u2019s annual developer conference, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/android-xr-hands-on\/\" data-tooltip-added=\"true\" rel>Android XR<\/a> was showcased towards the end of the two-hour event using prototype smart glass hardware. Google\u2019s ongoing decision <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/google-ai-smart-glasses-could-have-been-big-but-are-a-failure\/\" data-tooltip-added=\"true\" rel>not to show any consumer-ready models<\/a> of its own suddenly made sense when it announced two partnerships related to smart glasses \u2014 Gentle Monster and Warby Parker \u2014 on stage, along with a third, Kering Eyewear, outside of the keynote.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t look like Google intends to make glasses of its own, preferring to outsource the hardware to other brands, rather than add another homegrown product to its own Pixel mobile device range. It\u2019s by far the best decision it could have made. Making spectacles of any kind is not like making a phone or a smartwatch, and although Google\u2019s pockets are deep enough to hire experts, it\u2019d be a long time before it nailed the design and fit, and likely impossible to build an extensive range of shapes for different faces required for wide success in a short amount of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It hasn\u2019t just chosen any old sunglasses manufacturer as partners though. The names already confirmed are not only well-known, they also have clear ambitions in integrating technology into their business, and they\u2019re all approaching the challenge from different directions too. Google\u2019s handling the software, and letting others deal with the hardware. If you\u2019ve been around Android for a while and remember its smartphone beginnings, this will be a familiar strategy.<\/p>\n<h2>Gentle who, Warby what?\u00a0<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gentle Monster Hong Kong flagship store with Taeyeon\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/auSSJeFHrVk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>We\u2019ll come back to Warby Parker and why it\u2019s a great choice for Google in a moment, as you may not be familiar with Gentle Monster, yet it\u2019s probably the most exciting of the three partners. The South Korean brand started out in 2011 and although it sells its products globally, it\u2019s best known in its home country, Japan, and China. It\u2019s recognized for its creatively exciting retail stores, partnerships with big fashion brands, and its continued use of technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gentle Monster has already <em>fully<\/em> embraced technology. From its wild, futuristic, often cyberpunk-inspired designs to the crazy high-tech art installations inside its retail stores, the brand is the perfect match for Google\u2019s software. It has already tried its hand with smartglasses, having <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/huawei-gentle-monster-eyewear-2-hands-on-features-price-photos-release-date\/\" data-tooltip-added=\"true\" rel>worked with Huawei<\/a> several times, starting out during the audio-first smart glass wave around 2020. Outside of actual smart glasses it has introduced augmented reality try-on technology, produced a collaborative mobile game, worked with video game brands on some crazy designs, and has a well established online retail presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{\"uploadedSrc\":\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/warby-parker-sunglasses.jpg\",\"figureClassNames\":\"wp-block-image size-large\",\"figureStyles\":null,\"imgClassNames\":\"wp-image-3930307\",\"imgStyles\":null,\"targetWidth\":1500,\"targetHeight\":1000,\"scaleAttr\":false,\"ariaLabel\":\"Enlarge image: A promotional image showing Warby Parker sunglasses.\",\"alt\":\"A promotional image showing Warby Parker sunglasses.\"}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/warby-parker-sunglasses.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&#038;p=1\" alt=\"A promotional image showing Warby Parker sunglasses.\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3930307\"><span>Warby Parker sunglasses<\/span> <span>Warby Parker<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Warby Parker will likely be the more familiar name due to its unusual direct sales platform, the Buy a Pair, Give a Pair charitable program, and clever marketing through online sources such as podcasts. It\u2019s not as tech-forward as Gentle Monster and that\u2019s a good thing, as its classic designs will appeal to those who don\u2019t want to make a strong statement. Google is doing more than just signing a partnership agreement with Warby Parker, it\u2019s <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.warbyparker.com\/intelligent-eyewear\" target=\"_blank\">investing $150 million into the brand<\/a>, with half set aside to develop new products.\u00a0This is evidence of its serious commitment to developing smart glasses.<\/p>\n<p>The final new partnership is with Kering Eyewear, a conglomerate designing products for 14 top luxury names including Gucci, Montblanc, Balenciaga, Cartier, and others. It also has its own eyewear brands, including Lindberg and Maui Jim. Google\u2019s vice president of XR, Shahram Izadi, made its intentions with the company clear in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20250520216042\/en\/Kering-Eyewear-Partners-With-Google-to-Develop-Smart-Glasses\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">press release<\/a>, saying, \u201cIntegrating our immersive XR platform with Kering Eyewear\u2019s iconic styles will give consumers the fashion and function to get the most out of Android XR.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Leaving nothing to chance<\/h2>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{\"uploadedSrc\":\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/maui-jim-rbr-glasses.jpeg\",\"figureClassNames\":\"wp-block-image size-large\",\"figureStyles\":null,\"imgClassNames\":\"wp-image-3930306\",\"imgStyles\":null,\"targetWidth\":3000,\"targetHeight\":2000,\"scaleAttr\":false,\"ariaLabel\":\"Enlarge image: A promotional image showing Maui Jim sunglasses.\",\"alt\":\"A promotional image showing Maui Jim sunglasses.\"}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/maui-jim-rbr-glasses.jpeg?fit=3000%2C2000&#038;p=1\" alt=\"A promotional image showing Maui Jim sunglasses.\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3930306\"><span>Maui Jim (a Kering Eyewear brand) sunglasses<\/span> <span>Mark Thompson\/Getty Images \/ Maui Jim<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meta\u2019s partnership with EssilorLuxottica for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-review\/\" data-tooltip-added=\"true\" rel>Ray-Ban Meta<\/a> smartglasses helped make the product a success. Ray-Ban\u2019s expertise and product understanding allowed Meta to release essentially one pair of glasses which are so well designed and timeless, they suit the vast majority of faces. However, the Wayfarer is fairly unique in the world of glasses, where one size almost never fits all.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By partnering with Gentle Monster, Warby Parker, and Kering Eyewear, Google has already got the majority of not only faces, but also <em>tastes<\/em> neatly covered. Not everyone will be able to pull off a pair of Gentle Monster glasses, or even want to try, but Warby Parker will be there to provide a pair they feel comfortable with, while those who love the latest fashion will likely find something from Kering Eyewear\u2019s list of brands.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{\"uploadedSrc\":\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ray-ban-meta-and-case.jpg\",\"figureClassNames\":\"wp-block-image size-large\",\"figureStyles\":null,\"imgClassNames\":\"wp-image-3919441\",\"imgStyles\":null,\"targetWidth\":3000,\"targetHeight\":2250,\"scaleAttr\":false,\"ariaLabel\":\"Enlarge image: The Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses and case.\",\"alt\":\"The Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses and case.\"}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ray-ban-meta-and-case.jpg?fit=3000%2C2250&#038;p=1\" alt=\"The Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses and case.\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3919441\"><span>Ray-Ban Meta<\/span> <span>Andy Boxall \/ Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>All the while, it\u2019ll be Google\u2019s Android XR platform working behind the scenes, providing an optimized and consistent user experience. Google\u2019s Wear OS platform for smartwatches went through a rocky period, but it has improved massively since Wear OS 4, showing the company is now taking wearable tech software seriously, and making us less concerned about it delivering a strong software platform for smart eyewear than we may have been before.<\/p>\n<h2>High-tech luxury sunglasses\u00a0are coming<\/h2>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{\"uploadedSrc\":\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/android-xr-presentation-2.jpg\",\"figureClassNames\":\"wp-block-image size-large\",\"figureStyles\":null,\"imgClassNames\":\"wp-image-3930305\",\"imgStyles\":null,\"targetWidth\":1500,\"targetHeight\":1000,\"scaleAttr\":false,\"ariaLabel\":\"Enlarge image: A still image taken from Google I\/O 2025u0027s keynote.\",\"alt\":\"A still image taken from Google I\/O 2025u0027s keynote.\"}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/android-xr-presentation-2.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&#038;p=1\" alt=\"A still image taken from Google I\/O 2025's keynote.\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3930305\"><span>Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A consistent and reliable software experience will be more critical than you may think. There\u2019s nothing luxurious about poorly functioning software, and its partners won\u2019t want anything to sour their reputations. Google needs Android XR to practically blend into the background and barely be part of the conversation when it comes time to buy a pair of luxury smart glasses, and that will only come through confidence in the product from all sides. There\u2019s a lot riding on Android XR.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Eyewear is chosen and purchased because of the way it looks on our faces, and the version of ourselves it projects to others. This will be the number one consideration, and Android XR needs to impress by being instantly usable, never intrusive, and almost invisible. By not building the hardware on its own, it appears Google is well aware of this, and its choice of partners shows it also knows it has to cater to as many people as possible to make the platform a success.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the only problem here is time, because nothing is happening very quickly. Neither Gentle Monster or Kering Eyewear have talked about when an Android XR product may arrive, and Warby Parker has only said its first products will come after 2025. Provided that means early 2026, the ingredients are there for Google to finally banish the ghost of Glass with its latest high-tech eyewear push, and for your next pair of luxury sunglasses to have Android XR inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span id=\"publisher-md\" itemprop=\"publisher\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"url\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"logo\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.dtcn.com\/dt\/dt-logo-small.png\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Digital Trends\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"image\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/android-xr-presentation-1.jpg?p=1\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/google-has-its-sights-set-on-your-next-pair-of-luxury-sunglasses\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Andy Boxall<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Make no mistake, Google wants to run the technology inside your first pair of luxury smart sunglasses, but it\u2019s not leaving the looks to chance or for its own internal designers to handle. Instead it\u2019s turning to established eyewear partners with experience in the space it clearly wants to dominate, as it aims to make<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":850201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[496,26023,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-850200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-google","category-sights","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=850200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850200\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/850201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=850200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=850200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=850200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}