The Galaxy XR headset is great for gaming and professional uses, but it is not something that you will want to wear while you are out and about. Instead, you might put on the new smart glasses that Samsung unveiled at its Galaxy Unpacked event.
The digital side of things is a collaboration between Samsung, Google and Qualcomm. The glasses run Android XR on a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset. Unlike the XR2+ Gen 2 chip inside the Galaxy XR, the AR1 chip has been specifically designed for thin and light smart glasses.
Samsung smart glasses designed by Gentle Monster
The glasses feature the Google Gemini AI assistant, the version built for wearables. It can see the world around you through the built-in camera for additional context. For example, it can snap a photo of a whiteboard and organize the information into your Notes app. The camera can also be used as, well, a camera by recording first-person video or showing what’s around you in a video call.
The glasses can summarize long messages and read out important information to you. They also offer a real-time translation feature for those traveling abroad who don’t speak the language.
They can help you get around town too with real-time navigation to a selected location and they can provide information about your surroundings if you are on a sight-seeing tour.
Samsung smart glasses designed by Warby Parker
There are several ways to control the glasses. The first is the hands-free option with voice commands. The second is to use the touch-sensitive areas on the glasses’ temples. Additionally, you can control the glasses via connected devices.
If you’re looking for a display on these glasses, you won’t find one – these focus on audio feedback. Samsung’s press release says that the glasses are intended to bring AI closer to people “as they move, work, communicate and explore, without requiring every interaction to begin with a screen.” Android XR has full support for display-less designs. These are dubbed “AI glasses”, but Samsung is also working on AR glasses, which will have displays.
While the electronics side of things was handled by tech companies, Samsung tapped Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for the design. Gentle Monster created a fashion-forward look with a slim black frame with a straight upper rim and rounded lower edges. Warby Parker went for a brown hue instead, suitable for everyday wear.
The Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip that powers the Samsung smart glasses
“As agentic AI reshapes mobile experiences, the next step is to make those experiences more intuitive and responsive to each user’s context. Intelligent eyewear creates a new point of interaction, bringing more personalized AI assistance naturally into the moments that make up everyday life,” said Won-Joon Choi, Chief Operating Officer of the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics.
“Google and Samsung have a shared vision to bring helpful and context-aware intelligence into everyday life. Built on the Android XR platform, the intelligent eyewear blends world-class designs with Gemini’s advanced assistance that naturally responds to what you see, delivering all-day, hands-free help. We’re excited to continue this momentum and bring this experience to people soon,” said Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem at Google.
