Key Takeaways
- Samsung is working on portable mixed-reality smart glasses in collaboration with Qualcomm.
- Samsung’s upcoming XR product is likely to be smart glasses for new experiences, utilizing AI functionality.
- The Qualcomm-Samsung collab aims to make XR glasses mainstream; a launch is expected later this year with AI features.
While 2024 has been largely defined by AI being integrated into our devices, it’s also shaping up to be a significant year for mixed-reality gadgets. Apple started the trend when the company unveiled its Vision Pro XR headset earlier this year, and Xreal has also been consistently releasing some of the best smart glasses on the market.
And it’s no secret: Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm have also been (quietly) collaborating on an XR project. Now, in a recent interview with CNBC (via Android Authority), Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon shared some new details about Samsung’s upcoming XR product.
In the interview, Amon mentioned that the collaboration with Samsung will result in “a new product” that offers “new experiences.” He hinted that this product will likely be a pair of XR smart glasses, not a headset. While Apple has focused on larger, head-mounted XR devices, Samsung and Qualcomm are aiming to create XR smart glasses that, in theory, should be much more portable and easy to carry around.
Samsung’s XR platform is coming later this year
Referencing Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, Amon expressed that the goal of Qualcomm’s collaboration with Google and Samsung is to make smart glasses a mainstream accessory. “I want everyone who has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it,” he said. “We need to reach a point where wearing smart glasses feels no different from wearing regular glasses or sunglasses. Only then can we achieve true scale,” he added.
Amon also hinted that the upcoming XR device will have some sort of AI functionality. He explained that some AI features will run directly on the device, others on the phone, and certain tasks will require cloud processing. However, he emphasized that this integration will lead to “a whole new set of experiences.”
While Amon didn’t provide further details, it’s becoming clear that Samsung and Qualcomm are taking a different approach than Apple by focusing on a more portable and lightweight XR device. One of the major drawbacks of Apple’s Vision Pro has been its weight, and a smaller, easier-to-wear device could address this issue effectively.
As for the launch, while there’s no confirmed date for Samsung’s XR platform, CEO TM Roh mentioned at the recent Galaxy Unpacked that it is expected to launch sometime this year. Some leaks hint that the launch could happen in October, possibly alongside the Galaxy Tab S10 series. However, there are also reports suggesting that Samsung may showcase only a developer version next month, with a commercial launch slated for Q1 2025.