Google has reportedly abandoned plans to release Augmented Reality (AR) glasses. The suspension of the device, which is said to be called Project Iris, is the third time the company has had to throw in the towel on AR glasses. The latest flagship is expected to be Google’s second foray into consumer technology and feature a more immersive experience than Google Glass.
In January 2022, rumors surfaced about Project Iris, thanks to a report from The Verge citing anonymous people “familiar with the project.” Iris is said to have been wireless and external cameras and left the visual services in the cloud.
Last year’s report also described the development as ski goggles, but Business Insider’s report on Monday said that the prototypes belonged to Google’s AR partnership with Samsung and Qualcomm to create a mixed platform (MR). Google announced the project with limited information in February 2023.
An Insider report on Monday cited three unnamed people “familiar with the matter” who said the glasses, which have been in development for years, were installed “early this year.” This is said to have happened after layoffs and corporate restructuring at the company, including the departure of Clay Bavor. The 18-year-old Google executive announced he was leaving to start an AI company in February. Bavor’s most recent roles at Google were leading the VR/AR division for nearly seven years and leading the Labs division.
“Insiders say Google’s leaders continued to change Iris’ strategy, which led to the company’s move, to the dismay of many employees,” Insider said.
AR for Android
Now, Google says it will develop its own AR software instead of developing AR devices. According to Insider, the team is focusing on developing an AR app — one that Google hopes could be “Android for AR,” one employee reportedly told Insider — for headset makers to license. The prototyping page is said to be Betty inside. Potential partners include Samsung and others.
Of course, it’s common for Google to cancel projects and for developers not to see a major release. Without Bavor’s leadership amid cost-cutting efforts from Google CEO Sundar Pichai, including the consolidation of Google’s laptop division, there may be less opportunity for new consumer initiatives in emerging technology. Focusing on AR devices could allow Google to capitalize on AR partnerships without immediately worrying about getting consumers excited about AR devices, something Google has failed to do in the past.
The news comes after Apple sent shockwaves with a built-in MR headset above and beyond anything the XR market has seen so far. The $3,500 Vision Pro isn’t a consumer headset yet, but it teases what the future of MR development might look like.
Meta, meanwhile, announced a Quest 3 MR title for this fall. And The Information has said that Meta will release new AR glasses next year; although, Meta’s new AR glasses are not expected to reach consumers until 2027.
While other Big Tech companies are doing it, Google’s focus on apps can solve the obvious problem in consumer adoption of AR: finding fun and useful things that increase the interest in using the technology every day. Of course, Google AR software development can also focus on business applications.
The glass is half empty
This leaves the dream of Google AR devices emerging in the near future, after a time when it seemed more possible than it had been in years.
In 2020, Google bought North, maker of Focals AR glasses. The goggles stood out among the AR specs so far in terms of looking like standard glasses (I even stopped wearing a pair around the zoo without getting double-takes from passers-by), something that Glass sorely missed. Google also promoted AR-based translations on AR glasses last year, while Photosi showed off AR features, such as multitasking search, event tracking, and live and immersive Maps. and the AR feature of Google Lens.
But Google stopped selling Google Glass Enterprise Edition in March and hasn’t had a consumer-facing AR headset since 2013’s original Google Glass. Premature and seemingly unlikely to make the trend, Google stopped selling consumer glasses in 2015.
Insider mentioned two employees who say that Google can bring back Iris and that there are groups that are researching AR technologies, although some groups that focus on Iris have gone to the Betty platform or the collaboration of Google MR with Samsung.
Google did not respond to Ars’ request for comment.
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