Having Android XR Glasses Support iOS Might Be Their Best Feature

Thanks to partnerships with Samsung and eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, Android XR intelligent eyewear will be available this fall, as announced during Tuesday's Google I/O developer conference. The audio glasses offer in-ear assistance, while displays within the glasses show you the information you seek right on your lenses. But despite those notable partnerships and high-tech features, what caught my attention most is this eyewear's compatibility.

"The world's leading electronics company, Samsung, is building innovative new devices and experiences that set the bar for the whole industry, and we've been working to bring the best of Google to these glasses as well," said Shahram Izadi, vice president of XR at Google, during the Google I/O keynote. "And yes, they're going to pair with both Android and iOS devices."

In other words, an Android phone won't be required for these Android XR glasses, expanding the intended user base for this eyewear to iPhone owners.

While smart glasses have been compatible with iOS devices, some haven't fully enabled all their features in their paired iPhone apps. Moreover, Google and Samsung's devices don't always play well with Apple's; for instance, smartwatches like the recent Galaxy Watches and Pixel Watches won't pair with iPhones at all.

Android XR glasses, à la Warby Parker. Google

Since Android XR heavily relies on Gemini, Google's AI assistant, that could reduce the glasses' capabilities when paired with an iOS interface, as Apple relies on its own AI called Apple Intelligence.

"Experientially, the full Gemini layer across Android can command it to do a lot," said Scott Stein, CNET's smart glasses expert. "On iPhones, Apple locks that down, and Gemini can’t command iOS beyond the Gemini app. So I expect it’ll be more like how Meta glasses work. However, the XR Android glasses will connect to multiple Google apps using Gemini as the bridge, even on iOS, it seems."

Meta glasses use Meta AI and can only access features permitted through the Meta AI iOS app. That means, when you're wearing Meta glasses, you can't use Siri or a native iOS app like iMessages, and are limited to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Only time will tell whether this experience will be reflected when the Android XR intelligent eyewear is paired with iOS on the Gemini app. That time will come when the glasses are released this fall.