Smart Glasses, AI Clothes and Smart Robots: Go Down Android Avenue at MWC 2026
Tucked away between two conference halls at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is a nod to Google’s latest technology — and its best-in-class robotics. Here, viewers can step inside the home’s wood-paneled booths and try out the features on the other side The Pixel, Android XR again Search. Welcome to Android Avenue.
I’m looking forward to Google’s setup to check out demos of its latest products and features. Greeting me at the door and setting the scene was a colorful Android template that waved hello.
CNET’s Tara Brown and I raise our own Android front-access stickers.
In another booth, I tried Smart glasses for Android XR prototype for the first time and tested some promising use cases. I saw and heard real-time, AI-powered translation through the glasses as a Google employee spoke to me in Spanish. I also followed the Google Maps overlay that guided me on my route without interfering with my vision, thanks to the display on the right lens.
Android XR glasses touch the Gemini AI assistant.
Hot on the heels of Introducing the Samsung S26Google has dropped a new feature for Gemini that takes on a more helpful role. You can long-press the power button and ask Gemini to plan a vegetarian tapas tour, for example, and then jot down that information in a Google Keep note, all with a voice command.
Other use cases include having your Gemini book Uber, which will run in the background so you can continue using other apps on your device. Galaxy S26 the phone.
Gemini handles tasks like calling an Uber or helping to plan and book a trip.
In another booth, I played with Google’s update Circle to search which will simultaneously find all the pieces of the dress on your screen, and allow you to try them on virtually.
After long-pressing the home button and scrolling through the image of the collection I liked, Google displayed a list of product results for each item. Tapping “try it on” produced a life-like image of me wearing the red pants I had been looking at.
Funnily enough, the AI took the liberty of replacing my real-life dress and jacket with a black t-shirt. This isn’t the first time Gemini has decided to play with the parameters of my modesty, but hopefully it’ll get better at avoiding those robbers in the long run.
The Circle to Search update is out at Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10 devices.
Those arms are AI-generated — as is the rest of the outfit.
The Search Circle could have done a better job with Patrick Holland’s team.
One of my favorite features of the Pixel is that it lets you use Apple AirDrop and Android Instant Sharing in both ecosystems. With a few taps, I sent a photo from a Pixel 10 phone to an iPhone, and received one in return. This feature is also available on Pixel 9 devices.
Quick Share/AirDrop compatibility makes it easy to transfer media between the new Pixel phones and iPhones.
Seeing new technology is always neat, but what I really liked were the Android graphics that appear to clean up the demo area window. Such a hard working young staff.
I can’t get enough of these little guys.
And that wrapped up my block trip. In a tech conference dominated by boring booths, it was nice to get some fresh air, check out a few demos, and, most of all, sneak a peek at some great models big and small.
