Samsung used its Galaxy Unpacked event to showcase more than just foldable phones. The company unveiled its first smart glasses, developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, powered by Android XR and the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset.
Unlike the Galaxy XR headset—which is designed for immersive gaming and professional use—the new smart glasses are built for everyday wear. They run Android XR on a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, a processor specifically engineered for thin, lightweight eyewear rather than bulky headsets.
AI at the core
The glasses feature Google’s Gemini AI assistant, designed specifically for wearable devices. The built-in camera enables the AI to understand your surroundings and provide contextual assistance. Point it at a whiteboard during a meeting, and it will snap a photo and organize the information into your Notes app. The camera can also record first-person video or show what you’re seeing during a video call.
For communication, the glasses can summarize long messages and read important information aloud. Real-time translation helps travelers navigate foreign languages on the fly. Navigation support guides you through unfamiliar cities, and the glasses can provide information about landmarks during sightseeing tours.
Design and control
Samsung partnered with fashion eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for the design language. Gentle Monster created a sleek, slim black frame with a straight upper rim and rounded lower edges. Warby Parker’s version uses a brown hue designed for everyday wear.
The glasses are controlled through multiple methods: hands-free voice commands, touch-sensitive areas on the temples, or through connected devices like your phone. Notably, there is no display—the glasses focus entirely on audio feedback and AI interaction. Samsung’s press release describes the design philosophy as bringing AI “closer to people as they move, work, communicate and explore, without requiring every interaction to begin with a screen.”
According to Won-Joon Choi, Chief Operating Officer of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile eXperience Business: “As agentic AI reshapes mobile experiences, the next step is to make these experiences more intuitive and responsive to every user’s context. Smart eyewear creates a new point of interaction, bringing more personalized AI assistance naturally into the moments that make up daily life.”
Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem at Google, added: “Built on the Android XR platform, the smart eyewear blends world-class designs with Gemini’s advanced assistance that naturally responds to what you see, delivering all-day, hands-free help.”
Battery and availability
The glasses offer up to 9 hours of battery life, with an additional 7 full charges from the carrying case. Samsung has not yet announced a specific release date or pricing, but early previews suggest a launch later this year.
