Google has unveiled Android XR, a novel core component of the Android ecosystem, specifically designed to support spatial computing experiences for extended reality (XR) headsets and smart glasses. The corporation is positioning itself as a comprehensive spatial computing platform, seeking to carve out its own niche within the extended reality landscape amidst established players like Meta and Apple.
Google unveiled Android XR, a bespoke version of the popular operating system designed specifically for extended reality (XR) headsets. This new iteration seamlessly integrates with existing libraries of flat Android applications, allowing users to effortlessly run their familiar apps on XR devices. Moreover, Android XR paves the way for “spatialized” app experiences and immersive VR content, further blurring the lines between physical and virtual realms.
Samsung’s latest venture, codenamed Venture Moohan, is set to revolutionize the mixed reality landscape by becoming the first MR headset to hit the market running on Android XR within the next 12 months. We recently got an exclusive first-hand experience with the innovative headset.
Android apps currently available on the Google Play Store will be accessible on immersive Android XR headsets, allowing developers to opt-out if desired. A vast array of pre-installed flat applications will be readily available on the device from the start, providing a solid foundation for productivity and usefulness right out of the gate.
The suite of apps includes all of Google’s primary offerings, such as Chrome, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and more. Google has updated a few of its apps to leverage the capabilities of Android XR, which it refers to as “spatialization”.
Google TV, when experienced, can be enjoyed on a large, curved screen, where data panels emanate from the main window to maximize usable space.
Google Photos has undergone a redesign, integrating seamlessly with the Android XR architecture, while also boasting an innovative feature: the ability to effortlessly transform images and videos into stunning 3D visuals.
YouTube’s cutting-edge technology isn’t just limited to showcasing stunning visuals on a large curved screen; it also enables seamless access to the platform’s vast collection of immersive experiences, including 360, 180, and 3D content?
Chrome enables seamless multitasking by accommodating multiple browser windows, perfectly complemented by Android XR’s native support for Bluetooth peripherals, allowing users to pair mice and keyboards with ease for an enhanced browsing experience.
With Google Maps offering an entirely immersive experience akin to, you can also explore Avenue View images and newly introduced volumetric captures of corporate spaces and various locales, leveraging Gaussian splats.
While sharing similarities with Apple’s VisionOS, this iteration of Android is functionally comparable in its approach.
While Android XR showcases notable differences, one significant aspect that sets it apart is its seamless integration of artificial intelligence capabilities. The Gemini framework has been successfully integrated into the Android 10-based Android XR operating system. This concept goes far beyond what a typical chat agent would be capable of accomplishing. On Android XR, Gemini enables users to engage in natural-language conversations about their surroundings, seamlessly integrating between the physical and virtual realms. You may ask it for assistance in an app that’s floating in front of you, or ask it something about what you see around you, leveraging the power of pass-through technology.
Apple features Siri on VisionOS, but for now, users won’t be able to detect anything within or outside the headset. Meta’s experimental AI on Horizon OS can potentially detect anomalies in your real-world surroundings, but it may struggle to recognize problems existing solely within the digital realm. Gemini’s unique ability to consider both physical and digital content enables a seamless integration, rendering it an indispensable asset in the system.
Android XR is engineered to power both immersive MR headsets and smartglasses. In the near term, Google conceives of its Android XR smartglasses as augmented reality (AR) heads-up display (HUD)-like companions to your smartphone, rather than a fully immersive AR experience.
Android XR’s core planning is spearheaded by Gemini at Google for smartglasses development. Compact glasses, potentially evolving into regular-looking frames, will display minute visual cues hovering within the wearer’s peripheral vision, mirroring Heads-Up Display (HUD) functionality, while concurrently offering audio prompts for seamless interactions with Gemini. Proven applications for exhibiting information demonstrate effectiveness. With similarities to Android XR on a Magic Leap headset, these cutting-edge smartglasses are poised to feature cameras, empowering Gemini users to effortlessly capture and respond to visual content in real-time.
While echoing Google Glass’s pioneering spirit a decade ago, this innovation now boasts a refined and significantly more intelligent design.
While there has been no specific smartglasses product announced for Android XR, Google and Samsung are reportedly working together on a mixed-reality (MR) headset dubbed “Project Moohan,” set to be launched by Samsung to consumers next year.
Google is actively promoting a broad spectrum of development paths. Developers using Android Studio now have access to the Jetpack XR SDK, a game-changing tool that enables them to create immersive, three-dimensional versions of their existing flat applications, significantly enhancing their development workflow. The Android emulator now supports testing of Android XR applications without the need for a headset. Unity developers now have the flexibility to build augmented reality (AR) experiences for Android devices with the introduction of a brand-new Android XR Extension, complementing existing support for WebXR and OpenXR.
Google is further enhancing OpenXR by introducing vendor-specific extensions, including:
- Revolutionary new trackables enable seamless integration of real-world items – think laptops, smartphones, keyboards, and mice – directly into the digital realm.
Google has updated its ‘Materials Design’, incorporating novel elements and layouts that dynamically adjust for spatial applications.
Are you a builder eager to construct innovative apps for Android XR? You’re invited to explore the potential at our Android XR Developer Bootcamp, happening in 2025!
