AR | The Verge

All the latest news on Android 17, Wear OS 7, and Android XR

2026-06-16T16:26:12-04:00

Google’s Android 17 update includes highlights like new floating “Bubble” app windows for easier multitasking, a Screen Reaction recording mode, and a 50/50 split gaming mode for foldable phones. Meanwhile, Wear OS 7 brings Live Updates and better battery life for smart watches, and it prepares connections for new Android XR smart glasses that will launch this fall.

The update is rolling out to Pixel phones first, then other devices, with some features, like Gemini Intelligence, set to debut later this year.

Follow along here for the latest updates.

Snap is finally about to ship AR glasses — and they cost a fortune

2026-06-16T14:45:09-04:00

Snap is finally launching augmented glasses for the public. Specs, which Snap describes as "a wearable computer built into see-through augmented reality glasses," will cost $2,195. You can preorder a pair of Specs now at specs.com with a $200 refundable deposit, and Snap says they're expected to ship "this fall" in the US, UK, and France.

This is a big moment for Snap: The company made a big entry into smart glasses with its original Spectacles in 2016, and the company has been toiling away on nonpublic AR versions of Spectacles over the past few years. CEO Evan Spiegel promised the company would launch consumer AR glasses in 2026 and even …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Snap is sticking with Qualcomm for its next AR glasses

2026-04-09T21:49:49-04:00

Snap's upcoming consumer AR glasses are still set to launch sometime this year, and they'll be powered by a Snapdragon XR chip from Qualcomm, according to an announcement of a "multi-year strategic agreement" between the companies.

Snap has been working on smart glasses for a decade, with the first model of its camera-equipped Spectacles glasses launching in 2016. But the past couple generations, which have been AR glasses capable of layering digital experiences over the real world, haven't been available to general consumers. The consumer Specs won't be the first time Qualcomm and Snap have worked together, as Snapdragon chips have powered …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Osmo is trying to crack AR edutainment (again)

2026-03-10T07:49:35-04:00

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.

I still remember the first time I tried the kids edutainment system Osmo back in 2014: I was sitting in front of an iPad, placed vertically on a white iPad stand, that showed me pieces of a tangram puzzle, its squares and triangles arranged to make a shape.

In front of the iPad were matching wood puzzle pieces strewn across the table. I went to work to re-create the shape in question with those wood pieces. When I had managed to do so, the iPad played an animation and a sound, …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Snap is turning its smart glasses team into its own company

2026-01-28T07:37:42-05:00

A consumer version of Specs (unlike the developer preview pictured here) are still expected to get a public launch sometime this year.

Snap is launching a separate business for its upcoming Specs augmented reality glasses in a bid to lure new investors to the project. The new company, aptly named "Specs," will operate under Snap as a distinct subsidiary ahead of the long-awaited public launch of Specs glasses later this year.

"Establishing Specs Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary provides greater operational focus and alignment, enables new partnerships and capital flexibility including the potential for minority investment, allows us to grow a distinct brand, and supports clearer valuation of the business," reads Snap's announcement.

The announcement reaffirms existing pl …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Xreal sues Viture over AR glasses patent

2026-01-15T10:52:55-05:00

Xreal is filing against competitor Viture, which also makes AR glasses.

You know a gadget category is starting to go mainstream when patent lawsuits start cropping up. Today, Xreal filed a lawsuit in the US against Viture, alleging the firm is infringing on a patent for its AR glasses technology.

According to Xreal's press release, the suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and involves US Patent No. 11,988,839. In a nutshell, the patent outlines optical tech that helps enhance image quality and field-of-view in a lightweight form factor. Xreal argues Viture has several products, including the Viture Pro, Luma Pro, and Luma Ultra, that infringe on its technology.

I …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Xreal’s entry-level AR glasses get a spec bump and 3D conversion

2026-01-05T20:44:43-05:00

At CES 2026, Xreal announced an upgraded, slightly more affordable version of its entry-level AR glasses: the $449 Xreal 1S. And this time, you can also convert 2D videos to 3D without any extra apps, software, or proprietary players.

At a glance, the Xreal 1S don't look much different from the Xreal One or One Pro. (Or even the forthcoming Project Aura glasses that Xreal's developing with Google.) The main hardware changes are essentially an "S"-year spec bump. Namely, resolution increases from 1080p to 1200p Full HD, brightness goes up from 600 to 700 nits, and the field of view is now 52 degrees instead of 50 degrees. The aspect ratio h …

Read the full story at The Verge.

No one knows what to call these things

2025-12-12T12:02:40-05:00

Meta calls its Ray-Ban glasses AI glasses.

I asked a simple question at Google's Project Aura demo last week. What do you call these things? To my surprise, multiple people launched into a vigorous discussion on the taxonomy of glasses-shaped face computers.

It turns out "smart glasses" is out as a term. The term "AI glasses" is in. Kind of. Actually, it seems no one's fully on the same page.

Let's back up, and I'll explain. At the beginning of the year, a Meta comms representative asked if I could refer to Ray-Ban Meta glasses as "AI glasses." Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and CTO Andrew Bosworth have referred to the glasses as the perfect vehicle for AI. Framing these devices as AI gl …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Who is buying VR and XR headsets anyway?

2025-11-13T18:01:11-05:00

From the outside, it looks like virtual and mixed reality is having a moment. Three new headsets have launched or been announced in the last month: There's Apple's M5 Vision Pro, the Samsung Galaxy XR, and, just this week, Valve announced the Steam Frame. Given the marketing, you might assume that means Big Tech thinks this tech finally has some mass-market appeal. But, in the nearly 60 years since the first VR headset, one thing remains true: This isn't the next iPhone.

"Let's put it this way," says Tuong Huy Nguyen, a director analyst on Gartner's emerging technologies and trends team. "Everyone who wants a VR headset already has one."

…

Read the full story at The Verge.

Samsung Galaxy XR hands-on: It’s like a cheaper Apple Vision Pro and launches today

2025-10-22T05:27:08-04:00

Watching the first few minutes of KPop Demon Hunters on Samsung's Galaxy XR headset, I think Apple's Vision Pro might be cooked.

It's not because the Galaxy XR - which Samsung formerly teased as Project Moohan - is that much better than the Vision Pro. It's that the experience is comparable, but you get so much more bang for your buck. Specifically, Galaxy XR costs $1,799 compared to the Vision Pro's astronomical $3,499. The headset launches in the US and Korea today, and to lure in more customers, Samsung and Google are offering an "explorer pack" with each headset that includes a free year of Google AI Pro, Google Play Pass, and YouTube P …

Read the full story at The Verge.