What you need to know
- Samsung and Google are launching the Android XR platform today as part of a "broader XR roadmap" for AI glasses, VR headsets, and more.
- Warby Parker and Gentle Monster are partnering with Samsung "to create beautifully designed eyewear and deliver exceptional customer experiences."
- These smart glasses will use Gemini to make using them as easy as possible, with some pairs even likely including a display in the lenses.
Samsung's Galaxy XR is officially debuting the Android XR platform for a new generation of wearable devices, but fans of AI glasses still have a few months to wait before their dreams come true.
During today's launch of Galaxy XR, Samsung revealed more about its partnership with Google, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker to debut AI glasses that will challenge Ray-Ban Meta on all fronts, starting with the first major competition for Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2.
Samsung's Gentle Monster AI glasses will "bring stylish, fashion-forward eyewear that blends cutting-edge Al-native technology with cultural influence and design leadership," according to the company's press release. This is a clear way forward for the company to challenge Meta on a substantial level, offering users a way to get familiar functionality without the negative feelings some people harbor toward Meta as a company.
Based on this, we can expect Gentle Monster glasses to look like a normal pair of specs, complete with many different style , lens, and color options. Those glasses will feature Gemini-centric AI functionality that allows users to control the glasses using only their voice. We should also expect these glasses to have cameras on them for recording life from a first-person perspective.
Samsung's partnership with Warby Parker sounds similar, with the company noting that it's "working with pioneering lifestyle brand Warby Parker, known for leveraging technology to create beautifully designed eyewear and deliver exceptional customer experiences."
To me, this sounds more like Samsung's direct answer to Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses (that's the one with the display in the lens), similar to what we already got to use at Google I/O this year. It's still highly likely that we'll see additional styles from Warby Parker that don't feature a display in the lens, as well.
The company is mum on specific models, prices, and release dates at this time but notes that AI and XR glasses are "part of its broader XR roadmap" in collaboration with Google.
