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Google is expected to debut its AI-powered Android XR smart glasses, rivaling Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. Google first teased the return of smart glasses at its I/O keynote in 2024 (remember Google Glasses?). Last year, the company showed off a Gemini-powered prototype version, which Abrar Al-Heeti, CNET's senior tech reporter, tested at Mobile World Congress. Al-Heeti was especially impressed by the Google Maps demo, which provided directions based on a picture she viewed through the glasses, as well as the ability to look at a vinyl album cover and ask Gemini to play a song from it. Sounds

Not all smart glasses look alike, and not all models have cameras. The vast majority of camera glasses currently available are produced by Meta. The easiest way to identify a pair is by locating the indicator light -- a small LED bulb that turns on when the wearer is taking a picture or video. According to CNET editor and wearable tech expert Scott Stein, "Each pair of smart glasses has its own type of indicator. And many smart glasses do different things. We don't have a clear mental map of what to look for. That's a big part of the problem." Meta Ray-Bans have been around since 2021. (They l