Barcelona: Samsung has officially lifted the curtain on its first AI smart glasses, confirming the ‘Galaxy Glasses’ will launch later this year to take on Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in the fast-growing wearable market.
Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Jay Kim, Executive Vice President of Samsung’s mobile business, revealed the first key specs.
“The important thing is AI should understand where you’re looking at,” Kim told CNBC. The glasses will feature a built-in camera at eye level and will stay connected to a paired smartphone, which will “handle the heavy lifting” — processing visual data and delivering contextual information in real time.
Developed under the codename “Project HAEAN” and built with Qualcomm and Google since 2023, the device runs on Android XR — Google’s operating system for extended reality. “Then it feeds the information to the mobile phone and processes it to give you useful information,” Kim said.
What to expect from Galaxy Glasses
Design & weight: Leaks suggest a “thin and light” design around 50 grams, aiming to look like normal glasses or sunglasses.
Camera & AI: A 12-megapixel camera with a Sony IMX681 sensor sits at eye level to capture what users see. Google’s Gemini AI model will power AI-driven features like real-time translation, navigation, and situational awareness.
Chipset & battery: Powered by a Qualcomm chipset with an NXP chip as an auxiliary processor, plus a 155mAh battery.
Features: Gesture control, facial recognition, payments, music playback, calling, and AI assistant access are expected. The glasses will transmit sound through the frame and may not have a display — Kim declined to confirm one, noting Samsung has “other products like the smartwatch or phone if a user needs a display”.
Samsung filed trademarks for “Smart glasses” with the UK IPO last year and an icon for Galaxy Glasses has already appeared in One UI 8.5 firmware. The company is also working on a more advanced AR pair for 2027, but the first Galaxy Glasses are tipped for Samsung’s second Unpacked event alongside new foldables. With Meta holding 82% market share, Samsung says headsets won’t be a “mass scale business” compared to the everyday appeal of glasses.