24 Jul 2025
|
Mike Boland
AWE Talks: Android XR's Power Play
AWE USA 2025
Welcome back to AWE Talks, our series that revisits the best AWE conference sessions. With AWE USA 2025 concluded, we have a fresh batch of session footage to sink our teeth into for weeks to come.
We continue the action this week with a deep dive on the XR World's latest big entrant: Android XR. What is the XR operating system? Where's it headed? and will it do for XR what Android did for smartphones?
See the summarized takeaways below, along with the full session video. Stay tuned for more video highlights each week and check out the full library of conference sessions on AWE’s YouTube Channel.
Speakers
Juston Payne, Google
Speakers
Juston Payne, Google
Key Takeaways & Analysis
– Android XR could be a force multiplier for XR, similar to Android's impact in mobile.
– The open platform could enable XR hardware players to get to market faster.
– For XR developers, it will engender standards as well as a path to scale.
– The OS is currently working with Samsung and a few others, but it will grow rapidly.
– One of its central principles is to power a range of XR devices and form factors.
– This approach is grounded in the philosophy that XR devices will be varied.
– This mirrors the approach of Qualcomm, which is also an Android XR partner.
– Purpose-built approaches range from high-immersion VR to non-display AI glasses.
– Samsung's Project Moohan, a video passthrough device, will be first out of the gate.
– Lighter-weight flat AR glasses will follow from Samsung and others.
– Non-display AI glasses will also be released from OEM partners like Warby Parker.
– Android XR will underlie all of these approaches to cast the widest net.
– That wide net means, again, scale for developers and others in its ecosystem.
– Speaking of developers, Android XR will lower barriers to attract content.
– That includes compatibility and portability with Android, Unity, and OpenXR.
– Altogether, Android XR will deviate from other tech-giant XR strategies.
– Specifically, it will be used across hardware makers – much like Android.
– That contrasts Apple, Meta, and Snap, which will all be vertically integrated.
– Google's approach could prove more scalable and differentiating.
– The coming months and years of XR competition will show if that's the case.
For more color and depth, see the full session below...
Want more XR insights and multimedia? ARtillery Intelligence offers an indexed and searchable library of XR intelligence known as ARtillery Pro. See more here.
– That wide net means, again, scale for developers and others in its ecosystem.
– Speaking of developers, Android XR will lower barriers to attract content.
– That includes compatibility and portability with Android, Unity, and OpenXR.
– Altogether, Android XR will deviate from other tech-giant XR strategies.
– Specifically, it will be used across hardware makers – much like Android.
– That contrasts Apple, Meta, and Snap, which will all be vertically integrated.
– Google's approach could prove more scalable and differentiating.
– The coming months and years of XR competition will show if that's the case.
For more color and depth, see the full session below...
Want more XR insights and multimedia? ARtillery Intelligence offers an indexed and searchable library of XR intelligence known as ARtillery Pro. See more here.
