Samsung's smart glasses faced a surprising nemesis: sunscreen

Samsung Electronics' smart glasses, additionally unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2026 held at Old Billingsgate in London on Wednesday (local time). [Ko Jae-woo]

"Sunscreen contains alcohol. That was what made things hardest for us." — Choi Jae-in, head of Samsung Electronics' MX Division XR Development Team

Choi Jae-in, executive vice president and head of Samsung Electronics' Mobile Experience (MX) Division XR Development Team, shared behind-the-scenes stories from the development of the company's smart glasses — or "intelligent eyewear" — at a briefing held Thursday (local time) at Old Billingsgate in London.

Two form factors of the smart glasses, developed in collaboration with Google, were additionally unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2026, but attendees could not try the hands-free AI features or privacy protection functions.

As a result, capabilities including AI-assisted message checking, real-time translation, navigation and information logging — as well as connectivity with Galaxy Watch and Buds, an LED indicator that signals when recording is active, a feature that disables the camera when the glasses are not being worn, and personal data and personalization settings management — were explained rather than demonstrated.

Choi said the decision was deliberate. "Since we are co-developing with Google, there was a discussion to save the wearable experience for the launch," he said, asking for understanding.

Instead, the briefing focused on the engineering behind the glasses' lightweight design. Choi detailed four key elements: an ultra-slim hinge structure, ultra-thin injection molding technology, the use of lightweight materials such as titanium and aluminum, and optimized internal component layout.

The team also addressed wearability and durability. Comfort at contact points — the forehead, cheekbones and around the ears — along with left-right weight balance and a heat-dissipation structure that prevents device-generated heat from reaching the wearer's face were all factored into the design. Testing included high-temperature and high-humidity environment trials, human safety verification, eyewear-specific durability tests and more than 100 sunscreen exposure tests.

"We have accumulated more than 200 patents internally over the years, and some are applied to these smart glasses," Choi said. "It will likely be the lightest product of its kind on the market, and we made every effort to give it the feel of ordinary eyewear."

Even so, the team engineered durability beyond what ordinary glasses require — accounting for drop tests and the effects of heat and humidity — given that the smart glasses house chips, a battery, sensors and various other components inside.

"Sunscreen was what made things hard for us — the part of the glasses most at risk from it is the speaker," Choi said. "Because it uses an open-air speaker, we heated sunscreen and applied it directly, and also tested audio performance by vibrating it at low frequencies."

Choi Jae-in, executive vice president and head of Samsung Electronics' Mobile Experience (MX) Division XR Development Team, speaks at the smart glasses briefing held Thursday (local time) at Old Billingsgate in London. [Provided by Samsung Electronics]

Choi also predicted that smart glasses would serve as a distinct form factor rather than a replacement for mobile devices.

"Many companies can make AI glasses, but making a product that people want to wear every day is a different challenge," he said. "Glasses are a product that expresses an individual's style and identity."

"A true AI glass is not about replacing the smartphone — it is a new interface that understands the world from the user's perspective and naturally extends the mobile AI experience beyond the screen," he added. "These smart glasses are the first step toward realizing that vision."

ko@heraldcorp.com