A Samsung Exec talks about smart glasses, and gives us a glimpse of what to expect
What you need to know
- CNBC had a brief interview with Samsung’s vice president of mobile business, Jay Kim, who touched on the brand’s ambitions for smart glasses.
- Kim says the glasses will have an eye-level camera that will rely on AI to “understand” what users see before sending it to their phones for processing.
- Samsung confirmed on an earnings call earlier this year that its AR glasses are on the way by 2026.
Samsung hasn’t forgotten about AR glasses, as a recent report highlights an interview with an executive talking about what consumers can expect.
In an interview with CNBC, Samsung’s vice president of mobile business, Jay Kim, briefly discussed the company’s upcoming smart glasses. As MWC 2026 wrapped up, Kim went public, saying that Samsung’s smart glasses will feature a “built-in camera” that will be placed at “eye level.” Kim told CNBC that AI was a big part of Samsung’s glasses that it wanted to improve. In particular, the glasses need to have AI software that can “understand” what the user is looking at.
Android Central Take
What I’m getting at this is that Samsung may be putting its smart glasses with a more service-oriented AI. Considering Jay Kim refused to answer about the presence of the display, and that the company is focused on AI that provides “a lot” of information, I might not care if it has a display. Perhaps there is a speaker that allows us to hear AI. If not, accessing your phone (which we already do) might be good, too.
From there, the AI will send the data collected from the lenses to your phone for processing. Kim adds that this will lead to users getting “more information.” This back and forth is reportedly a key part of how users will interact with Samsung’s smart glasses and (presumably) their Galaxy device.
Kim says the lenses will connect to your phone to process camera information. When asked if the product will show or not, Kim reportedly refused to answer.
Look smart
We’ve been going through rumors of Samsung’s smart glasses for a while now. Last year, it was reported that Samsung’s bold move—smart glasses—could be launched in 2026. Samsung wanted to move itself into the position of being a prominent smart glasses maker to compete with others. Its type of glasses may differ from what it works with Google. Those rumors say that the company’s product will not have a show, so Kim’s silence on the matter may not be so shocking.
Android Central Take
Among the many things discussed during the earnings call, this was probably the news that woke everyone up. Samsung’s smart glasses appear to be eyeing (no pun intended) a 2026 debut. I just wonder when. When Not Packed This Summer? Maybe a fall release? Or somewhere between now and then? Samsung has remained silent for the most part, however. We know that 2026 could be the year, now we know about the eye level camera. There are still many unknowns.
It is reported that Samsung is developing glasses under Project HAEAN. During Samsung’s earnings call earlier this year, the company made a brief note about its pursuit of smart glasses. In fact, it has confirmed that its AR glasses will see a 2026 launch, as part of its AI expansion. The glasses are reportedly made in collaboration with Google, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster. Additionally, there may be two versions of its smart glasses on the way.
