Google’s Second Vision Has Ray-Ban Maker Seeing Red

Michael Jordan once said that he’s “failed over and over … that’s why he succeeds,” and GoogleGOOGL

took it personally. After Google Glass bombed over a decade ago, the tech giant just announced a fresh run at AI-powered eyewear, gunning straight for Meta’sMETA

Ray-Ban partnership. The news sent EssilorLuxotticaESLOY

, Meta’s eyewear partner, tumbling 5.8% Tuesday as competition heightens.

• Google is launching two versions in 2026 — audio-only frames and in-lens display glasses with navigation and translations — built with Samsung, Gentle Monster, and Warby ParkerWRBY
  .
• This time it’s backed by Gemini AI, cheaper components, and a $150M commitment — joining a proven market where millions of glasses have already been sold.

The real race is East: While Google, SnapSNAP

, and Meta duke it out for Western eyeballs, China has already flooded global markets with 70+ AI eyewear brands, such as Inmo, Rokid, and AlibabaBABA

. The country’s manufacturing edge enables faster iteration, leaving Google playing catch-up with this victory lap. Whether Google’s second vision is 20/20 — or another blind spot — remains to be seen.