Samsung confirms smart glasses capabilities to compete with Meta Ray-Bans - what's coming

Source: ZDNet

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Samsung shared the first details of its upcoming AI smart glasses.
• The glasses rely on AI and smartphone integration rather than being a standalone device.
• This would be Samsung’s first foray into the smart‑glasses market.

Samsung’s AI smart glasses confirmed

During an interview with CNBC, Samsung executive vice‑president of mobile business Jay Kim provided details about the company’s upcoming AI smart glasses. The announcement came at MWC in Barcelona (ZDNET coverage).

• Release timeline: Expected later in 2026.
• Hardware: Eye‑level, built‑in camera.
• Design philosophy: A gateway for AI to capture and interpret visual data, with processing offloaded to a paired Galaxy phone rather than operating as a fully standalone device.

“Everybody talks about what the next AI device is, and I know I’ve been looking at many different types of devices. Glasses, obviously, is one of them, and everybody’s looking at it,” Kim told CNBC. “I think the XR on headset will sort of be around. But not as a sort of mass‑scale business.”

Integration with the Galaxy ecosystem

• Phone connection: Leverages the Galaxy ecosystem to process camera data and deliver AI insights.
• Potential watch support: Rumors suggest integration with the Galaxy Watch for quick screen access, as the glasses themselves may not include a built‑in display.
• AI focus: Emphasizes real‑time scene understanding and contextual information rather than standalone AR overlays.

Competitive landscape

• Xreal: Offers AI‑enhanced glasses with phone integration.
• Meta: Continues to develop Ray‑Ban smart glasses, raising privacy concerns (ZDNET article).
• Galaxy XR headset: Launched last year, featuring spatial audio, 360° immersive content, and Gemini AI, but positioned as a separate extended‑reality product.

Outlook

While Samsung has not confirmed a built‑in display, the company’s emphasis on heavy phone and watch integration suggests a strategy focused on cost‑effective, AI‑driven experiences rather than high‑end standalone AR hardware. This approach could make smart glasses more accessible to a broader consumer base as the market continues to grow.