• Google announced that it will roll out a public pilot of its AR glasses in August. It aims to test real-time transcription, translation, and navigation in busy intersections. 

• Google’s decision to pilot the product at this point is considered to be an attempt to get ahead of privacy concerns, which included users recording people without their permission, which plagued the Google Glass consumer market aspirations. 

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Google’s ambitions in the AR hardware market are well-documented. Its AR glasses were fueled by the acquisition of Canadian waveguide developer “North” in June 2020 . Moreover, it acquired MicroLED display manufacturer Raxium earlier this year . This followed a January 2022 announcement that it was also developing a new AR headset (codenamed Project Iris) to be launched in 2024. Google is competing with the likes of Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, which also have AR/VR products in the pipeline.</ul>