Google right this moment introduced Android XR, a brand new core department of Android, designed as a spatial working system for XR headsets and glasses. The corporate is pitching this as a complete spatial computing platform, and hopes to ascertain its personal territory within the XR panorama towards incumbents Meta and Apple.
Google has revealed Android XR and it’s mainly what the title implies: a full-blown model of Android that’s been tailored to run on XR headsets, helps the complete present library of flat Android apps, and opens the door to “spatialized” variations of these apps, in addition to fully immersive VR content material.
Samsung’s newly introduced headset, codenamed Undertaking Moohan, would be the first MR headset to launch with Android XR subsequent yr. Try our early hands-on with the headset.
Google tells us that Android apps at present on the Play Retailer will likely be accessible on immersive Android XR headsets by default, with builders capable of opt-out in the event that they select. Meaning an enormous library of present flat apps will likely be accessible on the gadget on day one—nice for giving the headset a baseline degree of productiveness.
That features all of Google’s main first-party apps like Chrome, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and extra. A few of Google’s apps have been up to date to uniquely make the most of Android XR (or, as Google says, they’ve been “spatialized”).
Google TV, as an illustration, could be watched on a big, curved display screen, with information panels coming out of the primary window for higher use of real-estate.
Google Pictures has been redesigned with a format that’s distinctive to Android XR, and the app can routinely convert images and movies to 3D (with fairly spectacular outcomes).
YouTube not solely helps a big curved display screen for viewing but in addition helps the platform’s present library of 360, 180, and 3D content material.
Chrome helps a number of browser home windows for multi-tasking whereas web-browsing, which pairs properly with Android XR’s built-in help for bluetooth mice and keyboards.
And Google Maps has a completely immersive view that’s similar to Google Earth VR, together with the power to view Road View pictures and newly added volumetric captures of enterprise interiors and different locations (primarily based on gaussian splats).
Functionally, that is all fairly much like what Apple is doing with VisionOS, however Android flavored.
The place Android XR considerably differentiates itself is thru its AI integration. Gemini is constructed proper into Android XR. However this goes far past a chat agent. Gemini on Android XR is a conversational agent which lets you have free-form voice conversations about what you see in each the true world and the digital world. Meaning you may ask it for assist in an app that’s floating in entrance of you, or ask it one thing about stuff you see round you through passthrough.
Apple has Siri on VisionOS, however it could’t see something in or out of the headset. Meta has an experimental AI on Horizon OS that may see issues in the true world round you, however it could’t see issues within the digital world. Gemini’s capability to contemplate each actual and digital content material makes it really feel extra seamlessly built-in into the system and extra helpful.
Android XR is designed to energy not solely immersive MR headsets, however smartglasses too. Within the near-term, Google envisions Android XR smartglasses as HUD-like companions to your smartphone, slightly than full AR.
And it’s Gemini that varieties the core of Google’s plans for Android XR on smartglasses. The near-term units for this use-case are compact glasses that may really cross for regular-looking glasses, and provide small shows floating in your field-of-view for HUD-like informational functions, in addition to audio suggestions for conversations with Gemini. Makes use of like exhibiting texts, instructions, or translations are being proven. Just like Android XR on an MR headset, these smartglasses are nearly sure to be outfitted with cameras, giving Gemini the power to see and reply to stuff you see.
It’s quite a bit like what Google Glass was doing a decade in the past, however sleeker and far smarter.
Whereas no particular smartglasses merchandise have been introduced for Android XR but, Google and Samsung have been collaborating on an MR headset referred to as “Undertaking Moohan,” which Samsung will launch to customers subsequent yr.
Relating to growth, Google is supporting a large gamut of dev pathways. For devs constructing with Android Studio, a brand new Jetpack XR SDK extends that workflow to assist builders create spatial variations of their present flat apps. This features a new Android XR Emulator for testing Android XR apps and not using a headset. Unity can also be supported by way of a brand new Android XR Extension, in addition to WebXR and OpenXR.
Google additionally says it’s bringing new capabilities to OpenXR by way of vendor extensions, together with the next:
- AI-powered hand mesh, designed to adapt to the form and measurement of palms to higher symbolize the range of your customers
- Detailed depth textures that enable actual world objects to occlude digital content material
- Refined gentle estimation, for lighting your digital content material to match real-world lighting circumstances
- New trackables that allow you to carry actual world objects like laptops, telephones, keyboards, and mice right into a digital surroundings
On the design aspect, Google has up to date its ‘Materials Design’ to incorporate new parts and layouts that routinely adapt for spatial apps.
Builders fascinated with constructing for Android XR can attain out through this type to specific curiosity in an Android XR Developer Bootcamp coming in 2025.
