Google’s Smart Glasses Will Have the Best Software. But They’ll Have to Win on Style Too

When Google releases its smart glasses in the coming months, the strength of its AI-powered software will be its biggest leg up on its rivals. But will people want to be seen wearing them?

When Google ships its newly refreshed smart glasses this year—as the rumor mill is predicting, and as the hands-on demos posted just last week have all but confirmed it will—the company’s tech will be joining a crowded field. But whether this rebirth of Glass will pop or fizzle comes down to whether Google can best its main competitor: Meta.

Meta is the undisputed champion of the smart glasses battlefield now, with its snazzy and fashionable frames born of brand partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley. The company has also reaffirmed its focus on face computing by recently laying off workers to reallocate resources from its Metaverse efforts to focus ...