• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Internet of Things

Levi Strauss and Google’s New Jacket Will Rule Your Smartphone

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 20, 2016, 3:50 PM ET
Levi and Google Jacket (with tag)
Levi and Google Jacket (with tag) Levi Strauss

If you’ve ever wanted to swipe your sleeves to control the volume of your phone from your jacket, you’re in luck.

Google and Levi Strauss said on Friday that they developed a new jacket loaded with electronics as well as touch and gesture controls. These technologies let users interact with their smartphones by swiping at the garment in various ways.

Paul Dillinger, Levi’s (LVISF) head of global product innovation, discussed the new jacket, called the Commuter Trucker Jacket, during Google’s (GOOG) annual developer conference in Mountain View, Calif. this week.

Dillinger explained that the jacket is aimed at cyclists who may be too busy riding and concentrating on their surroundings to reach into their pockets and fiddle with their phones.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Additionally, the entire jacket is apparently waterproof—except for a detachable electronic smart tag that activates a wireless connection between the clothing and a mobile device.

“If you get this thing dirty, you put it in the washing machine,” said Dillinger.

The new jacket is powered by Google’s Project Jacquard technology developed by the Internet giant’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group. Google and Levi first said they were developing a new gesture-controlled jacket during the Google’s developer conference in 2015.

Google said its Project Jacquard technology involves conductive yarn that can be interwoven with traditional fabrics. With that conductive yarn placed throughout a garment in grid-like patterns, Google can essentially designated small areas on clothing that could act like touch screens.

Dillinger said that if people want to answer phone calls or control music on their phone, it “can be done with a swipe” of the garment. A video demonstration of a bicyclist wearing the jacket in action showed how a small swipe of the jacket’s sleeves could either trigger a song to play or a decline to answer a phone call.

For more about Google, watch:

Let’s hope that the companies are taking in account cybersecurity issues with this jacket. It’s one thing that people have to worry about their phones getting hacked, now they have to worry about their clothing.

Google and Levi did not say how much the jacket would cost, but it should be available in spring 2017 at Levi’s stores and its online store.

What’s next? Self-drying jackets, anyone?

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

A smartphone displaying the Google Gemini logo.
AIEye on AI
As ‘agentic commerce’ gains ground, companies shouldn’t put too much faith in ‘GEO,’ one industry insider warns
By Jeremy KahnJanuary 13, 2026
12 hours ago
BankingDebt
Why the $38 trillion national debt doomed Fed independence regardless of the Trump/Powell drama, top economist says
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 13, 2026
12 hours ago
bastian
Economyearnings
Delta sees wealthy high fliers leading to another record year—but its CEO sees the main cabin ‘struggling greatly’
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 13, 2026
12 hours ago
The Synchrony Bank Logo on a green layered background.
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Synchrony Bank CD Rates 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJanuary 13, 2026
13 hours ago
adams
PoliticsObituary
Scott Adams, Dilbert creator who went from cubicle wars to culture wars, posts open letter to time with his death at 68
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 13, 2026
13 hours ago
AIChatbots
Being mean to ChatGPT can boost its accuracy, but scientists warn you may regret it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 13, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Newsletters
The oil CEO who stood up to Trump is a follower of the disciplined 'Exxon way' and has a history of blunt statements
By Jordan BlumJanuary 13, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Tech
Elon Musk asked people to upload their medical data to X so his AI company could learn to interpret MRIs and CT scans
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 11, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Treasury spent $276 billion in interest on the national debt in the final three months of 2025, says the CBO—up $30 billion from a year prior
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 12, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The longer the Supreme Court delays its tariff decision, the better it is for President Trump
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 13, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Despite his $2.6 billion net worth, MrBeast says he’s having to borrow cash and doesn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy McDonald’s
By Emma BurleighJanuary 13, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Godfather of AI' says the technology will create massive unemployment and send profits soaring — 'that is the capitalist system'
By Jason MaJanuary 12, 2026
2 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.