It’s no secret that Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm have been working on an XR project for some time. When the collaboration was first announced, the talk in town was that Samsung’s XR device could compete with the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest headsets. But if recent reports are anything to go by, the focus has shifted, and Samsung is now working on smart glasses, albeit with AI features instead.
Samsung’s smart glasses with AI are coming next year
An X tipster recently revealed key specs of Samsung’s smart glasses. According to Jukanlosreve, the smart glasses won’t debut before Q3 2025, between July and September. The initial production volume is expected to be 500,000 units. At the moment, there’s no clue how much Samsung’s smart glasses could cost.
Samsung’s smart glasses will be powered by Qualcomm’s AR1 chipset. They could feature a 12MP Sony IMX681 camera, a 155mAh battery, and weigh just 50 grams. There’s no mention of display tech, and the weight confirms they’ll be smart glasses, not a full XR headset. Interestingly, thanks to the collaboration, the glasses will also be powered by Google’s Gemini LLM.
A report from Maeil Business Newspaper adds that the smart glasses could support QR code payment, gesture recognition, and human recognition. We’ll have to wait for additional details.
Samsung is readying AR/VR headset err… smart glasses with AI
Samsung’s plans are a bit unclear at the moment. A recent filing with WIPO hinted at an “AR glasses and/or a head-mounted device,” but today’s leak suggests Samsung may be focusing on smart glasses for now. Interestingly, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon may have dropped a hint when he mentioned he wants everyone with a phone to “buy companion glasses to go along with it” during an interview with CNBC.
It’s common for companies like Samsung to file multiple patents, and not all of them turn into final products. This could also suggest that Samsung might take on the Apple Vision Pro when the time is right. For context, Apple is reportedly working on a more affordable version of the Vision Pro, which could provide a better market opportunity for Samsung’s head-mounted device in the future.
