Survey reveals the most demanded form of Android XR glasses

Consumer-grade extended reality (XR) powered by Android has been a pipe dream for over a decade. While Google Glass could be considered ahead of its time, Google Cardboard allowed users to experience virtual reality with scrappy hardware. And while it spent the time since reorienting its priorities, Android XR appears to give us a glimpse of the future, without our eyes being shrouded by bulky hardware.

At an event in San Jose, California, Google gave my colleague C. Scott Brown a preview of the different styles of XR glasses it is working on. Unlike the Galaxy XR, which is also powered by Google’s specialized software, these glasses serve only part of the purpose, but also at a fraction of the cost and with much less burden on your skull.

We asked our readers which variant they preferred and saw the scale tip heavily in favor of one option.

Which Android XR glasses do our readers want?

Based on the results of a survey we conducted earlier this week, more than 2,000 of our readers shared their views on which Android XR solution works best for them. Here are the results:

An overwhelming number of readers, nearly 1,400 of you, said you’d prefer a binocular vision, i.e., displays integrated within both glasses. I concur! Not only will these glasses offer more information, but they can also offer a more immersive experience. But Google also emphasized that these will be slightly different from existing XR glasses that offer content viewing or screen casting capabilities, such as those from XREAL or VITURE. However, these are required to be tethered to another device like a phone, laptop, or gaming handheld.

Unfortunately for people expecting standalone glasses with two active displays, a production-ready model may not arrive before 2027.

Our reader with the username phkirman also highlighted how Gemini running natively on these glasses could play a pivotal role, especially for those with impairments. “As a parent or an autistic child, I truly believe this could improve her quality of life,” they wrote in the comments to our original article.

Meanwhile, only a fifth of the readers preferred a glass with monocular vision. Another reader, jhoff81, remarked that they prefer monocules without a camera so they can shift some of the utility from their smartwatch to the glass, rather than being a smart aide.

Besides those responses, less than 5% approved audio-only glasses, and I believe that’s because earbuds already do a better job. And about another 11% said they had no interest in XR glasses at all. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!