Google has abandoned the development of augmented reality glasses

Google has stopped developing the Iris project to create augmented reality (AR) glasses, Business Insider reports.

The tech giant has been working on the glasses for several years, but it shelved Iris after a wave of layoffs and reshuffles in the company over the past few months. Another event that influenced Google's decision was the dismissal of Clay Bavor, the former head of augmented and virtual reality. In addition, it is reported that Google has been constantly changing its strategy for Iris glasses, which has been a source of frustration for team members working on the project.

In early 2022, The Verge reported that Google might release the device in 2024. Iris AR glasses were supposed to look like a pair of ordinary glasses.

Despite the fact that the company has stopped working on its own AR gadget, Business Insider says that it still has big ambitions for augmented reality. Instead of building its own hardware, Google has apparently decided to focus on building Android for AR. The company plans to license its AR software to manufacturers. At the moment, Google is busy developing Android XR for Samsung's augmented reality wearables and a new platform called micro XR for glasses.