Samsung has entered the smart glasses category for the first time, showcasing its new AI-powered eyewear at the Galaxy Unpacked event held in London on July 22. The device, built on Google's Gemini AI and powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset, positions Samsung as a direct challenger to Meta in a market segment the social media giant has dominated since 2021. Samsung has not disclosed pricing or a confirmed release date, though the company said the glasses will ship this fall.
Design and hardware
The glasses have been designed with a light, thin frame intended for all-day wear, according to Samsung. The company has partnered with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to offer alternative designs at launch, with Gentle Monster contributing a narrow, black-framed round style and Warby Parker offering a brown-finished variant.
On the hardware side, the glasses include a built-in camera capable of capturing photos and video of what the wearer sees, along with onboard microphones and speakers. Battery life is rated at up to nine hours per charge, with the accompanying charging case offering seven additional full charges, extending total usage significantly before a wall charger is needed. The company says that its battery life is about 9 hours on a single charge.
Gemini AI integration
The standout feature is deep integration with Google's Gemini AI, which enables a range of hands-free functions. Wearers can ask Gemini questions about their surroundings, receive real-time navigation prompts, and access live translation without needing to pull out a phone. The assistant can also summarise long text messages, capture notes written on a whiteboard during a meeting and save them directly to Samsung Notes, and follow up on tasks based on earlier interactions in a conversation. This puts the emphasis squarely on contextual, ambient computing rather than a traditional display-led wearable.
