Google’s XR Shake-Up: The Smart Glasses Strategy No One Expected

Google has recently restructured its augmented reality (AR) teams to accelerate the development of smart glasses. During its I/O developer conference in May, Google showcased AR glasses and introduced Project Astra, an AI assistant capable of perceiving its surroundings and responding to queries in natural language.

According to a Business Insider report, Google reorganized its ranks last month, integrating more teams from its devices and Android group, which had merged in April. This strategic move aims to enhance the company's efficiency and speed.

The report, citing two sources familiar with the changes, mentioned that the regrouping involved consolidating a team focused on new optical AR technology with those working on Android XR. This unified team is now led by Shahram Izadi, a former Microsoft director for HoloLens who has been involved in AR and XR projects at Google since 2017. Google is currently persuading partners to adopt its still-developing Android XR software for their devices, with Samsung being one of these partners.

The report also highlighted that Google and Samsung are collaborating on a headset powered by Google's new software. However, the product has not yet met the expected standards and its release has been delayed to the first quarter of 2025.

Additionally, Hugo Swart, the former head of XR at Qualcomm, joined Google's AR group in April to oversee ecosystem strategy and partner relationships. A former colleague described Swart as highly skilled in relationship management and partnership development.