According to an update from South Korea’s Yonhap News, it seems Samsung is gearing up to launch a set of XR glasses at its upcoming Unpacked event, which is rumored to happen next month.
Back in July, Samsung hinted that we’d get more details about their new “XR platform” before the year wraps up. They’re working closely with Google and Qualcomm to bring this vision to life.
We’re still in the dark about exactly what Samsung’s “XR platform” will involve. Speculation has been swirling since October when The Information hinted at a possible competitor to both Apple’s Vision Pro and the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
Now, Yonhap News, echoed by TechRadar, says Samsung’s expected to show off some sort of eyewear. They’re described as “regular glasses or sunglasses,” potentially weighing around 50 grams.
This mysterious device is rumored to include features like payment capabilities, gesture recognition, and even facial recognition. Insiders are predicting a release around the third quarter of 2025. We might also see the debut of its Android-powered XR software this month.
Reflecting on the device being labeled as “AR glasses” through a translation from Korean, the sweet spot in weight and silence about built-in displays suggest it might function more like Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses than the Meta Orion AR prototype.
If you’re curious about the distinctions between AR and smart glasses, we’ve got a primer ready. In short, smart glasses don’t provide full augmented reality visuals. They focus on enhancing tasks you’d typically do on your smartphone or smartwatch, displaying information or giving audio cues like Ray-Ban Meta. On the flip side, true AR headsets overlay graphics in your real-world view, like HoloLens 2 or Meta Orion, and they tend to be pricier and more complex.
Should Samsung indeed release smart glasses instead of a comprehensive AR setup, they’d be joining an already thriving market. Meta, in partnership with Ray-Ban, has found significant success in this niche since 2021. In fact, they’ve extended their collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban’s parent company, all the way to 2030. Xiaomi from China is also stepping up, reportedly with the help of ODM Goertek to rival Ray-Ban Meta.
On a related note, Samsung has been busy securing trademarks possibly pointing to new XR offerings. In 2023, the company filed for the name ‘Samsung Glasses’ in the UK, followed by a similar patent for ‘Galaxy Glasses’ in the US in early 2024.
We’re still waiting on official word from Samsung about when Unpacked will take place. It usually happens in January or February, but Android Police hints at a possible date: January 23rd in San Francisco, California.
