Project Iris is an unreleasedaugmented reality (AR) headset designed and developed byGoogle. It was intended to resemble ordinary eyeglasses and expected to be released in 2024, until its cancellation in early 2023.
Following the highly publicized failure ofGoogle Glasssmartglasses in 2013, Google executives were initially disinclined to re-enter the field of wearable AR technology. However, work had begun on a new AR headset by 2021 under the leadership of Clay Bavor, codenamed Project Iris. The project underwent a turbulent development stage, with Google executives constantly shifting their vision for Iris. To facilitate its efforts, the company also acquired North and Raxium.
After going through numerous iterations, a version of Iris was unveiled at the 2022Google I/O keynote before undergoing public testing later that year. In June 2023, afterApple beat Google to the punch and unveiled theVision Promixed reality headset, Google abandoned the project in the midst of company-wide layoffs and internal turmoil, announcing theAndroid XRextended realityoperating system in December 2024 as Project Iris'spiritual successor.
Google first experimented with the prospect ofsmartglasses with the introduction ofGoogle Glass in 2013.[1] The product was panned by critics due to privacy and ethical concerns,[2] leading Google to discontinue the consumer-facing model and focus on the enterprise model.[3][4] In May 2019, Google VR/AR head Clay Bavor toldCNET that the company was heavily invested inR&D regarding AR devices,[5] while a February 2020 report fromThe Information revealed that Google had no plans to develop a new pair ofaugmented reality (AR) smartglasses as of mid-2019, in part due to the highly publicized failure of Glass.[6] In June 2020, Google acquired North, a manufacturer of smartglasses, to assist inits hardware division's vision ofambient computing.[7] Shortly after the acquisition, the company began work on a new pair of AR smartglasses based on North designs,[8] whichThe New York Times confirmed in December 2021.[9]
In August 2021, following the announcement that thePixel 6 andPixel 6 Pro smartphones would feature the custom-developedTensorsystem-on-chip (SoC), Google hardware chiefRick Osterloh toldBusiness Insider that he believed that Tensor had long-term potential for AR-powered smartglasses,[10] and was echoed by CEOSundar Pichai in October.[11] In November, a "Google Labs" division led by Bavor was created to oversee Google's AR andvirtual reality (VR) ventures, unrelated to the defunct serviceof the same name,[12] while development on an ARoperating system began the next month for an unknown "innovative AR device", an effort spearheaded byMark Lucovsky.[13] Meanwhile, Google began work on two custom system-on-chips akin to Tensor, codenamed Alius and Alexandrite, which would power its smartglasses.[8]
In January 2022,The Verge reported that Google was building an AR headset that used "outward-facing cameras to blend computer graphics with a video feed of the real world", internally codenamed Project Iris and being developed in a highly secretive and secure facility located in theSan Francisco Bay Area. Overseen by Bavor, the headset was to be powered by theAndroid operating system as well as a custom system-on-chip, expected to launch in 2024 alongside the experimentalProject Starline. Other key people named as part of the project includeShahram Izadi, Eddie Chung, Scott Huffman,Kurt Akeley, Paul Greco, and Lucovsky.[14][8] Over the next two years, Google executives constantly changed strategies regarding Project Iris, frustrating employees.[15][8]
During this time, Google rivalApple was concurrently developing its ownmixed reality (MR) headset,[16] eventually announced as theVision Pro.[17] When reports began to surface in early 2022 that Apple was making significant progress on the Vision Pro and nearing an official launch, Google executives panicked and formed a partnership with Android collaboratorSamsung, who also wished to build an MR headset. As part of "Project Moohan", Google agreed to provide Samsung with the software for a headset designed by Samsung. Moohan resembled ski goggles and had a targeted release date of 2024. Tensions soon arose between the two companies, with Samsung consolidating its control over the project to prevent Google from building a rival product.[8][15][18]
In March 2022,The Information reported that Google would acquire Raxium, an AR hardwarestartup, for approximately $1 billion, and would continue to make further acquisitions to assist in their AR and MR work.[19] The acquisition was completed a month later.[20] During the 2022Google I/O keynote in May, Google unveiled a version of Iris resembling eyeglasses with live translation capabilities.[15][21][22] The company began publicly testing these prototypes across the U.S. in August,[23] before expanding into Canada in October.[24] In December 2022,9to5Google reported that the company was considering using rings or bracelets to control Iris.[25] Google discontinued Glass Enterprise in March 2023.[26]
In June 2023, Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, frustrating many Google employees.[8] Three weeks later,Business Insider reported that Google had shelved Project Iris as part of its company-wide cost-cutting measures earlier in the year, which saw mass layoffs and the departure of Bavor. The final product would have resembled ordinary eyeglasses.[15][27]The Verge observed that Akeley was now listed as retired onLinkedIn, while Lucovsky, many North employees, and several other engineers remained involved in Google's AR ventures;[27] Chung had departed the company in February. Lucovsky left the following month, and Izadi assumed leadership of the AR division, now focused mainly on Project Moohan and reporting to Googlesenior vice presidentHiroshi Lockheimer.[8] Employees did not rule out the possibility of Iris being resurrected in the future.[15]9to5Google unearthed evidence in November that pointed to a possible revival of the project, locating a new string of code on the Google app on Android referencing Iris and the ability to activate theGoogle Assistantvirtual assistant by touching one's righttemple.[28] Googlelaid off much of its AR hardware team in January 2024.[29]
Meanwhile, Google shifted its focus from hardware to AR and MR software, which they hoped to license to third-party manufacturers à la Android.[15][27] A new team under Izadi began incorporating Iris' code into a new project codenamed Betty, intended to be part of a "Micro XR" platform that would be pitched to manufacturers. The former Raxium team continued to explore potential AR hardware projects under Greco's supervision, but was reportedly "firewalled" from the Moohan and Betty crews. A Google employee described the situation as "a weird bureaucratic mess".[8][18]The Information reported in December 2023 that Google was also looking to integrate a new virtual assistant codenamed "Pixie", powered by its recently announcedGeminilarge language model, into glasses.[30][31] Google announcedAndroid XR, a new operating system that would launch on Samsung's Moohan headset, in December 2024.[32][33]
Writing for9to5Google, Abner Li opined in February 2021 that Google should begin work on AR glasses technology as soon as possible to counter similar efforts from Apple if it wished not to be left behind in the future.[34] FollowingThe Verge's report on Project Iris, Nicholas Sutrich ofAndroid Central and analyst Anshel Sag of Moor Insights & Strategy agreed that it would be a daunting task for Google to reinstill the public's trust in its commitment to supporting its products in the long term, as well as demonstrate its investment inextended reality (XR), citing the failure of theStadiacloud gaming service as a cautionary tale.[35]Tom Pritchard ofTom's Guide believed that Google's acquisition of Raxium technologies gave it an edge over other potential competitors.[36]
On the AR translation glasses Google demoed at I/O in 2022,The Verge's Antonio G. Di Benedetto and Mitchell Clark felt that Google's apparent goal to break down thelanguage barrier was ambitious and difficult to accomplish,[37] while their colleague Sean Hollister wrote that Google would have to develop AR experiences "more compelling or convenient than what phones already offer".[38] After news broke that the project had been scrapped, Li expressed concern for Google's hardware division, deeming the cancellation a missed opportunity,[39] while Charlie Sorrel ofLifewire speculated that Google may have been intimidated by the Vision Pro. Lorne Fade, the co-founder of the VR Vision training company, reasoned that Google would likely "follow Apple and come out with an XR device in the coming years".[40]
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