Google Reportedly Shelves ‘Project Iris’ AR Glasses

Last year, it was reported that Google was working on a pair of Augmented Reality glasses, codenamed “Project Iris.” The company was apparently aiming to ship out the first units of the glasses sometime in 2024.

Now it seems that Google has abandoned Project Iris entirely, according to a report from Insider, citing three people familiar with the matter. While the glasses would’ve seen Google angle to compete with Meta and Apple’s own headgear, the company has reportedly pivoted to working on software instead of hardware.

Google has redirected its efforts to building a “micro XR” platform, which it could then sell to other headgear manufacturers. This process would look somewhat similar to how Google offers Android across a variety of phone companies.

Insider suggests that Project Iris isn’t totally done for good but that Google may team up with another company, such as Samsung, to bring the glasses to fruition sometime down the line.

In other tech news, Bowers & Wilkins kicked off a new series with its 801 D4 and 805 D4 signature home speakers.