A recent scoop from South Korea’s Yonhap News hints at an exciting reveal from Samsung: a new pair of XR glasses to be showcased at their upcoming Unpacked event, slated for next month.
Back in July, Samsung gave us a teaser about their upcoming “XR platform,” a venture they’re working on hand-in-hand with Google and Qualcomm. The specifics of this “XR platform” remain a bit of a mystery. However, rumors have been swirling, speculating Samsung’s potential rival to the Apple Vision Pro, as well as a competitor to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, according to an October report by The Information.
The fresh details from Yonhap News (featured on Techradar) suggest Samsung might be ready to introduce a device that resembles regular glasses or perhaps sunglasses, with an estimated weight around 50 grams. This new gadget is expected to come equipped with some intriguing features like a payment function, gesture recognition, and facial recognition. Industry whispers hint at a launch around Q3 2025, and we might even get a peek at the XR software this month.
Interestingly, while Yonhap labels it as “AR glasses,” Google’s translation suggests these might resemble smart glasses rather than full-blown AR devices. The lightweight design and absence of built-in displays support this idea. If you’re curious about the differences between AR and smart glasses, we’ve got a handy guide ready for you. To sum it up briefly: smart glasses typically don’t cover your vision with digital images but serve more like a heads-up display or audio output, similar to the Ray-Ban Meta. AR glasses, however, like the HoloLens 2 or Meta Orion, project immersive visuals, which makes them more complex and costly to develop.
If Samsung is indeed going the smart glasses route, they wouldn’t be alone. Meta’s smart glasses collaboration with Ray-Ban has already been a hit since it launched in 2021, prompting plans to extend their partnership with EssilorLuxottica through 2030. Meanwhile, China’s Xiaomi is reportedly developing a similar device, aiming to compete directly with Ray-Ban Meta, with help from OEM partner Goertek.
Samsung’s recent trademark filings seem to further hint at their XR ambitions. Earlier this year, the company applied for a UK trademark under the name ‘Samsung Glasses,’ followed by a ‘Galaxy Glasses’ trademark in the United States.
Although Samsung hasn’t announced a specific date for the Unpacked event, which typically happens in January or February, Android Police suggests a possible leak pointing to January 23rd in San Francisco, California. Keep your eyes peeled for what could be an intriguing launch!
