Meta and EssilorLuxottica sold more than 7 million smart glasses in 2025, roughly tripling the prior year. At Google I/O 2026, Google and Samsung answered with two frames designed not in-house but by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Even Gucci is now on the platform, with a 2027 launch. The hardware was never the problem.
The face was. On May 19 to 20, 2026 , at Google I/O 2026 , Google and Samsung gave the first public look at their Intelligent Eyewear , the first true glasses to run Android XR . The headline
feature was not the Gemini assistant inside. It was the names on the temples. The two debut styles were created with eyewear partners Gentle Monster and Warby Parker , not designed in a Mountain View hardware lab. Audio-first glasses launch this fall , with display glasses to follow. No price has been announced.
The most powerful AI company in the world, partnered with the largest consumer-electronics manufacturer in the world, chose to lead its smart-glasses reveal with two fashion brands. That is not a marketing flourish. It is an admission. The thing that has killed every smart-glasses launch for a decade was never the silicon.
It was whether anyone would actually wear the result in public. And on that question, Google has decided it cannot win alone. Who is partnered with whom, at a glance The smart-glasses market has organised itself into a small number of tech-and-fashion pairings.
In each case, the technology company supplies the compute and the AI, and the fashion company supplies the thing people are willing to put on their face. Tech platform Fashion / eyewear partner Status Notes Meta EssilorLuxottica (Ray-Ban, Oakley) Shipping since 2023 7M+ units sold in 2025;…
