AI Glasses Get New APIs and UI Components

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Developer Preview 4 introduces the Device Availability API for managing audio routing and connectivity on AI glasses. The Projected Test Rule API automates unit test setup. Voice launch with Gemini is configured via intent filters in the Android manifest. Jetpack Compose Glimmer adds a voice input indicator, stacks, title chips, and button groups. The emulator now includes a pairing wizard and environment customization. Partners like LINE, KakaoTalk, and NAVER Maps are building hands-free messaging and navigation experiences.

Jetpack XR SDK Beta Unlocks Immersive Features

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XR Runtime, Scene Core, and ARCore for Jetpack XR move to beta. The stack drops Guava and RxJava 3 for a Kotlin-first architecture. Sceneform gains glTF introspection for pose, materials, and textures, plus custom meshes for procedural environments. Compose for XR supports native glTF with animation control (pause, seek, speed) and billboard modes. ARCore features depth maps, eye tracking, hand tracking, hit testing, and local spatial anchors enter beta. The geospatial API preview covers 87 countries for location-based XR experiences.

Official Godot Plugin and Engine Hub Speed Up Development

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The Godot vendor plugin launches officially, replacing the earlier experimental version. The Unreal plugin enters developer preview. The Android XR Engine Hub provides direct preview, sending editor changes to a headset almost instantly across Unity, Unreal, and Godot. The Android XR Interaction Framework (AXRIF) bridges engine apps with native Android input and gestures. MRTK3 supports material theming for a Material Design look. The audio SDK for Unity updates today. The NBA demo shows a live tabletop companion using native Android UI and OpenXR engine experiences in one scene.

Developer Catalyst Program Opens Hardware Access

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Galaxy XR is publicly available. The Developer Catalyst Program accepts applications for XREAL Project Aura and an AI glasses developer kit. Open-source examples on the Android XR experiment site include Unity showcase samples with depth meshing and Gemini API calls, plus Jetpack XR experiments for a personal museum and spatial audio explorer. Full documentation is on the Android developer site.

Notable Quotes

Today we are excited to announce developer preview 4 with even more updates to our developer solutions for XR devices across both augmented experiences on AI glasses and immersive experiences for XR headsets and wired XR glasses. Stevan Silva · ▶ Watch (0:47)

Direct preview allows you to see changes you make in your engine editor live on your headset almost instantly. Elijah Taylor · ▶ Watch (12:50)

This means you can run OpenXR and native Jetpack XR experiences at the same time. Elijah Taylor · ▶ Watch (14:37)

Key Takeaways

  • Jetpack XR SDK (XR Runtime, Scene Core, ARCore) reaches beta with Kotlin-first architecture.
  • Engine Hub and direct preview enable instant iteration across Unity, Unreal, and Godot.
  • Developer Catalyst Program provides early access to XREAL Project Aura and AI glasses hardware.