Samsung shows smart glasses made with Google and eyewear brands
The upcoming AI glasses are due this fall with four frame styles, front cameras and a reported nine-hour battery life.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Samsung has shown its upcoming smart glasses in person, giving a clearer look at a product it is building with Google, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. The device matters because Samsung is preparing to enter the camera-equipped AI eyewear market now led by Meta’s Ray-Ban and Oakley partnerships.
The Verge reported that Samsung revealed two additional frame designs and early specifications, including a nine-hour battery life. The glasses are scheduled to launch this fall, according to the report.
Samsung and Google had already teased the eyewear project, and two frame designs were shown at Google I/O in May, The Verge reported. Samsung has now added a black, squared-off Gentle Monster design and a brown Warby Parker frame to the lineup.
Jaein Choi, an executive vice president in Samsung’s mobile experience division, told CNBC that additional designs are planned. Samsung’s own announcement described the project as an effort to bring the Galaxy ecosystem into everyday eyewear.
Four frames, shared hardware layout
The Verge’s Dominic Preston reported that he saw all four frames in person, though Samsung did not allow him to try them on or hold them to his face. He described the glasses as light and close in size to thick-rimmed conventional glasses.
The hardware layout appears consistent across the designs, according to The Verge. Speaker and microphone openings are built into the stems, a button sits on the right side, and a power switch is placed inside the left side.
Each pair also includes a front-facing camera and a recording indicator light, The Verge reported. That puts Samsung’s glasses in the same broad category as Meta’s smart glasses, which have raised questions about how people nearby know when they are being filmed.
Photos published by The Verge show Warby Parker’s earlier frame in a muted green, along with the newer brown Warby Parker design. The images also show Gentle Monster’s original frame and a second, squarer Gentle Monster model.
Charging case and design details
Gentle Monster’s version was also shown with a charging case, while Warby Parker’s case was not shown, according to The Verge. The glasses fit tightly into the case and connect to a charging point beneath the nose bridge, the report said.
The Verge also reported that Samsung highlighted work on the hinge, saying it was designed to stay thin and sturdy even with electronics running through it. The company has not disclosed all technical details or pricing in the material reported.
The reported nine-hour battery life would give Samsung a key specification to promote as it prepares for launch. The Verge described that figure as better than Meta’s smart glasses, though Samsung’s broader feature set remains limited to what the company has shown so far.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.