Smart glasses return: Google CEO confirms work on smart glasses as Apple realityOS rumours swirl

Smart glasses may have been ahead of their time in 2013, but Google and Apple are preparing new, better, smarter eyewear. Here’s what’s coming.

Are you ready for the second coming of internet-connected, augmented reality, translating, searching, photo-snapping smart glasses?

Google wants to know.

Nine years after its bold first effort with Google Glass, the company’s chief executive Sundar Pichai says the company is “very committed” to bringing back the tech, loaded with new features and a stronger focus on how these devices would work in and with “the real world”.

And Google may not be alone in this goal, with Apple strongly rumoured to be creating an augmented reality headset with a possible release date of 2023.

Industry experts say the success of “smart eyewear” is not as far fetched this time, with huge improvements in software and hardware to deliver information directly to our eyes.

Google kicked off talk of the latest smart glasses revival at its annual developers’ conference, where it showed a short demonstration of eyewear that translates foreign languages on the spot and delivers transcriptions in a hidden display on a lens.

Unlike the futuristic, half-lenses of Google Glass, these spectacles look a lot like regular eyewear.

Mr Pichai says the company has made progress on “something more comfortable that people can wear,” but the biggest changes are in software powering the smart glasses.

Since Google Glass launched in 2013, the search giant has developed natural language-processing tools, advanced image recognition, live view in Maps, and greater use of artificial intelligence; all of which Mr Pichai says will help deliver a richer experience behind the lens.

“I definitely think Google Glass was a powerful concept early or ahead of its time,” he says. “I think so much has changed.

“If you look at Google, we are already building many (augmented reality) services … they’re just happening in a phone which fully doesn’t unlock the magic of it because you’re not going to walk around holding a phone in front of you like that.

“Those things are ready and as we are able to put it together in the context of a form factor like AR glasses, I think the power will be much richer.”

But Mr Pichai, who lights up with enthusiasm as he talks about the potential of smart glasses, says the way smart glasses will work will be different this time.

Users will see information displayed “when needed, minimally, with a focus on the real world,” he says, rather than showing search results or pictures for at the sake of it.

“I think we have a clear vision we are working towards,” he says. “I’m excited about the future but we have a lot of work left to do.”

While Google appears closest to refining and relaunching smart glasses, Apple is also strongly rumoured to be working on augmented reality glasses.

Analysts including Ming-Chi Kuo says a launch is getting closer, with 2023 tipped, though he did not expect the glasses to enter production “for some time”.

Rumours about the unseen technology spiked recently when code for a potential new operating system, “realityOS,” was discovered and a trademark application was anticipated on June 8.

Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi says there are plenty of reasons why smart glasses could be a hit with mainstream audiences this time.

“Technology has improved massively since the time of Google Glass in terms of miniaturisation, battery technology and software,” he says.

“The next generation of devices will be substantially better than what we have today.”

Mr Fadaghi says Apple’s entry to the market would also give smart glasses greater legitimacy, alongside virtual reality headsets from Oculus.

But he says we may see more talks about smart glasses before we see the final products.

“This year we might see the software discussion ahead of any hardware,” he says. “That could involve showcasing a forthcoming products.

Originally published as Smart glasses return: Google CEO confirms work on smart glasses as Apple realityOS rumours swirl