Android XR, Beam & Astra: Google’s vision of the future is here 👓

At Google I/O 2025, the tech giant didn’t just unveil new features—it dropped a roadmap for the future. From AI-infused smart glasses to 3D video calls and a next-gen multimodal assistant, Google is reshaping the way we interact with technology. With Android XR, Google Beam, and Project Astra, the boundary between the digital and the physical is about to get a lot blurrier.

Android XR: mixed reality made practical 👓

Google is back in the smart glasses game—this time, with more than just a concept. Android XR is a new platform built from the ground up for immersive headsets and connected glasses. What makes it different? Gemini, Google’s native AI, is baked right in. That means your glasses can understand what you’re looking at, transcribe and summarize messages in real time, recognize places you’ve been, and respond to your context—all hands-free.

Designed to be universal, Android XR runs your standard Android apps and scales across a range of hardware—from fully immersive headsets to sleek, wearable glasses. On the high end, Samsung is working with Google on a premium headset to rival Apple’s Vision Pro, promising a deep, immersive experience. But Google’s not stopping there. It’s also teaming up with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to deliver smart glasses with a fashion-first design, going head-to-head with Meta’s Ray-Bans.

The vision? Tech that fades into the background until you need it—natural, useful, and almost invisible.

Google Beam: 3D video calls that feel real 📹

Forget flat, awkward video calls. With Google Beam, remote communication gets a serious upgrade. Beam recreates your conversation partner as a life-size, 3D image with ultra-precise head tracking and buttery-smooth motion at 60fps—all powered by AI and a multi-camera setup.

The effect is startling: it feels like the person is right there with you. Beam is the evolution of Google’s long-running Starline project, now ready to ship. Whether you’re collaborating at work, catching up with family, or delivering a training session, Beam aims to bridge the emotional gap in remote communication.

© Google

First Beam-enabled devices are set to launch later this year through a partnership with HP.

Project Astra: AI that understands your world 🌍

With Project Astra, Google is pushing AI far beyond chatbots and voice commands. Astra is a multimodal assistant that can interpret what it sees, hears, and experiences with you—in real time.

Point your phone at a building and say, “What’s that?” Astra doesn’t just recognize the structure—it analyzes the context and gives you a smart response without needing more detail. Integrated into Gemini Live, Astra allows for fluid, natural interactions. It doesn’t just react; it anticipates, learns, and reasons.

This is what the future of AI looks like: an assistant that perceives the real world and helps you navigate it, learn from it, and build within it.

With Android XR, Beam, and Astra, Google is no longer just enhancing digital tools—it’s weaving them into the fabric of everyday life. AI isn’t an add-on anymore; it’s the core of the experience, always on and always around. The question isn’t whether this tech works—it’s how it will shape the way we live, and whether we’re ready for that shift.

So, what’s got you most excited—or maybe a little uneasy? Are you team smart glasses, 3D video calls, or AI that sees the world like you do? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear how you see the future.