"To think we'd actually get to see Samsung smart glasses in the flesh."
Samsung Electronics plans to release two additional "intelligent eyewear" models before the end of the year, entering the smart glasses market in earnest to challenge Meta's dominance and expand the Galaxy ecosystem.
At Galaxy Unpacked 2026, held Wednesday (local time) at Old Billingsgate in London, Samsung Electronics unveiled two new smart glasses designs along with a closer look at the product's key features.
The smart glasses extend the hardware expertise Samsung Electronics has built through its Galaxy devices into an eyewear form factor, designed to let users access AI functions naturally and intuitively in everyday life. Global eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker handled the design work.
Following the two smart glasses designs revealed at Google I/O 2026 in May, Samsung Electronics on Wednesday showed off two more designs developed in collaboration with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.
The Gentle Monster collaboration features a slim black frame combining a straight upper edge with a rounded lower edge. The Warby Parker model adds a brown colorway and a subtly arched browline to the previously revealed teal option — both designed to be worn comfortably in everyday settings.
Samsung Electronics paid particular attention to the glasses' weight, thickness, balance and durability. The frame structure and internal component layout were precisely engineered for a light, comfortable fit. With long-wear balance and power efficiency in mind, the glasses are equipped with a camera, sensors, a microphone, speakers and the Snapdragon® AR1 Gen1 chip.
Users can capture what they see in real time through the built-in camera and use AI features based on their field of view. The battery supports up to nine hours of use on a single charge, and the charging case provides up to seven additional charges.
The smart glasses run on the Android XR platform through a collaboration between Samsung Electronics and Google. Instead of using their hands, users can access information and AI features through voice, gesture and visual input. Key functions — including checking messages, translation, navigation and note-taking — are all available hands-free.
For example, the glasses can recognize a conversation partner's speech or foreign-language text on a menu and deliver real-time translations to the user via audio through Gemini.
Sameer Samat, president of Google's Android ecosystem division, said Google and Samsung Electronics are working to build AI experiences that understand users' context and provide intuitive assistance. "We look forward to delivering a hands-free experience combining Gemini AI and strong design through Android XR-based smart glasses as soon as possible," he said.
The camera can also record whiteboards, documents and meeting scenes in the user's field of view and automatically organize them in the notes app on a Galaxy phone. The glasses also support navigation based on the surrounding environment and continuous conversations that connect the user's current situation with previously gathered information.
Choi Won-jun, chief operating officer of Samsung Electronics' MX Business Division, said that in the era of agentic AI, mobile experiences that understand user intent and context and connect the right features more intuitively will grow in importance. "Intelligent eyewear is a new touchpoint that naturally recognizes everyday context to deliver a more personalized AI experience," he said.
ko@heraldcorp.com
