Google is working on AR smart glasses: report

Google is developing a pair of augmented reality-powered smart glasses, according to a report from The New York Times.

In a broader piece about tech companies’ ongoing AR efforts, the outlet states that “Google is working on a new iteration of smart glasses.”

Details on specs weren’t provided, but The Times indicates this project came about following Google’s acquisition of Waterloo, Ontario-based North last year. Prior to the buyout, North had been working on its own smart glasses, Focals, although those have since been scrapped.

Since then, many former North employees have migrated to Google’s general Devices & Services division, which works on hardware like Pixel and Nest. These rumoured AR-powered smart glasses would, in theory, also be considered part of this division.

Google is far from the only company that’s interested in the AR wearable market. In September, Facebook partnered with Ray-Ban to release ‘Ray-Ban Stories,’ a pair of Snap Spectacles-like smart glasses that can take photos and videos. Meanwhile, Apple has been rumoured for some time to be working on its own AR headset.

Source: The New York Times