Samsung is getting ready to jump into the smart glasses market, aiming to take on Meta’s popular Ray-Ban collaboration. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a top Samsung executive finally shared some details about the company’s highly anticipated eyewear.
Jay Kim, executive vice president at Samsung’s mobile business, confirmed the new glasses will feature a built-in camera positioned right at eye level. This camera acts as the main input, capturing exactly what the user sees. The glasses won’t do all the heavy lifting themselves; instead, they will connect directly to your smartphone, which will process the visual information and provide feedback.
This project is the result of a powerful tech alliance. Samsung has been working closely with Qualcomm and Google since 2023 to build the hardware and software needed for mixed reality. Their first joint effort was the Galaxy XR headset released last year, but Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon previously stated that lightweight smart glasses were always the ultimate goal.
The timing is right for a new challenger. Currently, Meta completely dominates the smart glasses space, holding a massive 82% of the global market. However, other tech giants like Alibaba are also launching their own versions, sensing a major shift in how we use technology.
Kim explained that while bulky VR headsets will stick around for niche uses, they probably won’t become a massive, everyday business. Glasses, on the other hand, have huge mass-market appeal because people are already used to wearing them. He noted that the industry is obsessed with finding the “next AI device,” and glasses are the clear frontrunner.
The rapid advancement of AI models like Google Gemini and ChatGPT makes these glasses possible. Instead of typing questions into a phone, users can just look at something and speak to an AI assistant built into the frames. Kim said the crucial part is getting the AI to understand exactly what you are looking at and seamlessly feeding that data to your phone.
When asked if the new glasses will include a digital display built into the lenses, Kim wouldn’t confirm. He simply pointed out that Samsung already makes other devices with screens, like phones and smartwatches. However, he did say the company hopes to have something ready for the industry this year, a timeline backed up by Qualcomm’s Amon.
