GM of Android XR, Shahram Izadi, on stage at Google I/O 2025.
Google I/O (screenshot by Jason Hiner)
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Samsung’s AI glasses operating Android XR would compete with the Meta Ray-Bans.
- The sensible glasses will reportedly be introduced at an Unpacked occasion on September 29.
- The product can be powered by Google Gemini and have options not included in Meta Ray-Bans.
Samsung’s AI sensible glasses to compete with Meta Ray-Bans will reportedly be one of many three leading edge gadgets Samsung will announce at an Unpacked occasion in South Korea on September 29, as ZDNET has reported. The opposite two merchandise are the Project Moohan XR headset and the tri-fold smartphone.
Just like the Meta Ray-Bans, Samsung’s glasses can be audio-only and can be targeted on options corresponding to offering sooner and extra handy entry to an AI assistant, cameras, and audio for calls, music, and podcasts, Additionally, primarily based on the identical reviews out of Korea from Newsworks, ETNews and NewsPim, the Samsung glasses will embody navigation, real-time translation, and situational consciousness.
The identify of the product will possible be “Samsung Galaxy Glasses,” primarily based on a Samsung filing with the US Patent Office.
Additionally: I wore Google’s XR glasses, and they already beat my Ray-Ban Meta in 3 ways
Based mostly on prior statements by Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm, the Galaxy Glasses will run Android XR and can almost certainly be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1, the identical chip that powers Meta Ray-Bans — despite the fact that Qualcomm announced its next-gen Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 in June 2025 on the AWE occasion.
Throughout the Google I/O keynote in Might 2025, the GM of Android XR, Shahram Izadi, mentioned, “We’re taking our partnership with Samsung to the following degree by extending Android XR past headsets to glasses. We’re creating the software program and reference {hardware} platform to allow the ecosystem to construct nice glasses alongside us. Our glasses prototypes are already being utilized by trusted testers.”
As certainly one of Google’s founding collaborators on Android, Samsung will surely be thought of a trusted tester.
Android XR prototype demoed at Google I/O 2025.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Technique, sees a transparent path ahead for Samsung on this area. He mentioned, “Samsung actually will get it, primarily based on all the pieces I’ve seen from the corporate relating to wearables. Samsung makes a number of the finest {hardware} obtainable, and if the corporate can ship aggressive {hardware} paired with Google Gemini and Android XR, that could possibly be a really highly effective answer.”
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Nevertheless, Sag would not suppose there’s been sufficient time for Samsung to have built-in the next-gen Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 chip for sensible glasses that was launched this spring and guarantees a 20% smaller footprint, decrease energy consumption, higher picture high quality in pictures and movies, on-device language fashions, and higher privateness by sending fewer AI queries to the cloud.
“I’m not positive it is going to be an AR1+ Gen 1, but it surely could possibly be — provided that the announcement occurs this 12 months and the product ships subsequent 12 months,” mentioned Sag. “After I final spoke to Qualcomm at AWE 2025, it did not seem to be we had been getting AR1+ Gen 1 merchandise till someday subsequent 12 months.”
Let’s not overlook that earlier than Samsung’s September 29 announcement, Meta will unveil its subsequent sensible glasses at Meta Connect on September 17. Meta is expected to release two products — a set of $800 AR glasses codenamed Hypernova and an incremental improve to its well-liked audio-only AI glasses, the Meta Ray-Bans.
There’s additionally much more occurring within the sensible glasses area this fall with new merchandise anticipated from Rokid, Even Realities, Brilliant Labs, and others.
ZDNET reached out to Samsung for remark and can present updates after we study extra.
