Samsung, in partnership with Google, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster, is developing AI-powered smart glasses. Announced by Samsung’s head of customer experience Jay Kim, this initiative aims to integrate advanced AI into fashion-focused eyewear using the Android XR platform to enter the competitive wearables market.
The new eyewear will operate on the Android XR platform, an operating system jointly developed by Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm. A key feature of this platform is its deep integration with Google’s Gemini multimodal AI models. This integration is designed to provide seamless connectivity and interaction with other extended reality devices, creating a cohesive user ecosystem. The use of Gemini’s capabilities is central to the device’s intended AI-driven functionality, marking a significant element of the product’s technological foundation.
To ensure the product blends technology with style, Samsung is collaborating with established lifestyle eyewear brands. The partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster focuses on creating fashionable, stylish designs combined with an exceptional customer experience. Warby Parker brings significant optical expertise and prior experience in designing AI eyewear through a previous partnership with Google. That earlier collaboration focused on developing intelligent glasses intended for all-day use, which included capabilities for prescription lenses, a feature relevant to their current involvement.
Samsung’s upcoming AI glasses will enter a competitive market, positioned as a direct rival to products from Meta, including the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the planned Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses. This project is a component of Samsung’s broader strategy for XR devices. The company’s recently unveiled Galaxy XR headset is considered an initial step toward the development of more practical and wearable AI glasses that merge advanced technology with everyday fashion, signaling a strategic expansion beyond virtual reality headsets.
Samsung has not yet provided an official product name or a specific launch date for the smart glasses. However, reports indicate a potential release schedule, with a display-free AI model projected for a 2026 debut. An enhanced version featuring an augmented reality (AR) display is reported to follow in 2027. To facilitate this work, Google has committed substantial financial resources, pledging up to $75 million to Warby Parker to assist with development and commercialization costs associated with these related projects.
