Google expands Android XR hardware

Google and XREAL have launched AURA, wired glasses powered by Android XR. The glasses project apps into the wearer’s field of view while keeping the real world visible. A cable connects them to a portable compute puck, which holds the battery and handles processing. Google says Gemini can help across apps and screens, and that users can run multiple apps at once or mirror a laptop screen.

For a business owner, the main point is that Google’s XR platform now has another hardware route to customers. AURA is available to order in the U.S., Canada, and Korea, with orders opening in Japan on November 2. Launch pricing starts at $1,099 through the end of the year. Google also points businesses to information about scaled deployment options, but the announcement doesn’t establish whether companies will adopt the glasses at scale. This is the kind of development we track and put into context in the Omni Command Centre, rather than treating a product launch as proof of demand. Read Google’s announcement.