Samsung outlines smart glasses in new challenge to Meta

Samsung is moving from teasing smart glasses to explaining how they will actually work, setting up a new consumer hardware contest with Meta. For investors watching big tech ecosystems, the device is another test of whether phones, wearables and artificial intelligence can create a new category beyond smartphones.

At its Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, Samsung said its upcoming glasses will include a built-in camera that can record what the wearer sees, CNBC reported. The company said the camera can also read material such as a presentation or whiteboard and turn key points into notes.

The glasses can summarize long messages received on a user’s smartphone, with the summary played through speakers built into the frames, according to Samsung. The device uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 chip and has to be tethered to a smartphone, meaning it relies on a phone connection rather than operating as a fully standalone computer. Samsung also said the glasses will come with a portable charging case.

James Choi, executive vice president at Samsung and head of the research and development group behind the product, told CNBC that Samsung is testing controls that use gestures made through its smartwatches. In that setup, a person wearing a Samsung watch could make a hand movement to trigger a feature on the glasses. Choi said Samsung may also allow gestures through the Galaxy Ring, the wearable it launched in 2024.

Samsung first showed what it called “intelligent eyewear” at Google I/O in May, alongside designs developed with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. At the time, the company shared few specifics. Choi told CNBC that when the product launches this fall, Samsung will offer more designs and colors than it has shown so far.

Meta has the early lead

Samsung is entering a category where Meta has built the strongest position through its Ray-Ban smart glasses lineup. IDC said Meta held 69.2% of the smart glasses market in the first quarter of 2026.

Meta has also been widening its lineup. CNBC reported that Meta introduced a $299 entry-level smart glasses model last month. In 2025, Meta unveiled the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which include a built-in display.

Samsung has not announced a price. Choi told CNBC that the company will position the glasses as a “premium” product and sell them through its partners’ sales channels. “We want to make it reasonable, but as I mentioned ... the quality of the product itself, we want to position as premium. It doesn’t mean that it’s crazy expensive,” Choi said, adding that the product will not sit at the “lower end.”

Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, told CNBC that Samsung’s entry is a real threat to Meta, though he cautioned that success is uncertain. He said Ray-Ban Meta already has strong name recognition and adoption, while Samsung has had a harder time turning its large smartphone user base into buyers of other Galaxy devices.

Francisco Jeronimo, an IDC analyst, told CNBC he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Samsung priced the glasses between $600 and $700 to support its premium positioning. He said a high price could be difficult if Samsung does not offer more than Meta’s Ray-Ban products.

Choi told CNBC that Samsung has “just started” in smart glasses and expects the category to remain a niche market that will not reach 100 million unit sales. He did not provide Samsung’s own sales targets.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.