Samsung's First Smart Glasses Leak, Promising Lightweight Design and Advanced Features

Samsung is reportedly gearing up to enter the smart glasses market with its first-ever Android XR glasses, according to leaked designs and specifications. The unreleased devices are noted for their exceptionally lightweight design, aiming to be significantly less cumbersome than current offerings from competitors.

The leaks, first reported by tech site SammyGuru, indicate the glasses will weigh as little as 41 grams without prescription lenses. This makes them approximately 10 grams lighter than Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and lighter than other audio-focused smart eyewear.

Despite their light build, the Samsung glasses are expected to pack a powerful feature set. They are anticipated to be equipped with a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, 2GB of RAM, dual speakers, four microphones, and 64GB of internal storage. The devices are also rumored to offer up to 9 hours of battery life, with a charging case extending this to 72 hours. The camera capabilities include a 12-megapixel sensor capable of recording 3K video at 30 frames per second, a specification on par with the latest generation of Meta's smart glasses.

Potential design choices for the glasses include collaborations with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, offering a variety of frame styles and colors. The Warby Parker line is said to come in three styles: Alden, Reid, and Wren, in black, brown, and green. Gentle Monster's collaboration is expected to feature six different frame styles and a wider color palette, including gray, purple, and burgundy.

Compatibility details suggest basic functions will be available on both Android phones and iPhones. However, some premium features may be exclusive to Samsung Galaxy users with specific software versions, including One UI 9 (Android 17) and Wear OS 7 on Galaxy Watches.

The exact release date and pricing remain unconfirmed, but reports from Korean media and SammyGuru suggest a US release as early as November. The introduction of these glasses comes amidst ongoing privacy concerns surrounding wearable cameras, with some venues and countries already implementing bans on similar technologies.

This development follows a trend of major tech companies exploring advanced wearable devices, including Apple's previously leaked camera-equipped AirPods, which also raised privacy questions.