A Samsung app update accidentally confirms the company’s smart glasses are coming
Samsung has been working on AI-powered smart glasses for a while now. The company announced a fashion eyewear partnership last year but never named the product. That changed last week when a routine app update did that job.
An update to the Nearby Device Scanning app (via), part of One UI on Galaxy phones and tablets, included a changelog that explicitly mentions support for “Glasses”. The update also references Quick Pair functionality and battery level display for the new device, both features that currently work with Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Watches. It’s a small detail, but it confirms the product is real and closer to launch than it might have seemed.
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Samsung Glasses design and features
Leaked renders suggest the Galaxy Glasses will look similar to Ray-Ban’s Wayfarer sunglasses, which seems to be a deliberate choice. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses have done well commercially by looking like normal eyewear rather than tech hardware, and Samsung appears to be following the same logic. The reported design includes photochromic lenses that adjust to light conditions, a 12MP front-facing camera on one side, an LED indicator on the other, onboard microphones and speakers, and a touch-sensitive surface for controls.
There is no onboard display, which is similar to what Meta does with its Ray-Bans. The glasses are expected to run Android XR with Gemini built in, meaning users can take photos, record video, play music, and ask Gemini questions or trigger quick actions, all without pulling out a phone.
The Gemini integration is worth attention. Google’s AI assistant has been getting more capable with its newer models, and having it accessible hands-free through glasses worn throughout the day is a different kind of interaction than tapping a phone screen. Whether it works well in practice is something only real-world use will answer.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Glasses at its second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026, likely in July. That is the same event where new Galaxy foldables are typically announced, so the glasses would be sharing the stage with high-profile hardware.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses are the obvious competition. They have the advantage of being available now, carrying brand recognition from both Meta and Ray-Ban, and having iterated through a generation already. The second-generation model added a display, improved the camera, and addressed early criticisms around audio privacy.
Samsung’s strengths are its Android ecosystem, the Galaxy device integration that Quick Pair suggests, and Gemini. For users already in the Galaxy ecosystem — phone, watch, buds — the Galaxy Glasses could slot in more naturally than a Meta product would. Google is also working on its own Android XR glasses, so Samsung will face competition from within its own software platform before long. If you’ve been considering smart glasses, it’s worth waiting until July before making any decisions.
