Samsung AR glasses will have no actual AR [UPDATED]
*Header image is referential and showcases the Xreal Air 2. | Image credit — PhoneArena
Update from December 13, 2024:
Samsung has unveiled its XR device and it does, in fact, have a display. The source of this news was apparently mistaken.
The original story from December 8, 2024 follows below:
To everyone’s surprise the Ray-Ban smart glasses saw unprecedented success. So much so that Meta restructured Reality Labs (its XR division) to put more focus on similar wearables. This news was followed by reports that Apple was considering a rival product to the Ray-Ban glasses. Turns out it wasn’t the only company that saw the potential.
Updates in recent months have made these glasses so much more useful. | Video credit — Meta
Renowned tipster Jukanlosreve reveals that the upcoming Samsung AR glasses won’t feature a display. A second or third generation of the glasses might — in 2026 — but this first iteration will be a direct rival to the Meta Ray-Ban glasses in function and form.
Exclusive: Samsung’s first AR device will not feature a display, similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses.
— Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) December 6, 2024
This is because micro-LED technology is still immature.
Instead, Samsung plans to release its 2nd or 3rd generation AR devices featuring micro-LED in 2026. Meta is also expected…
When the Ray-Ban glasses first came out they were very simplistic in functionality. But Meta brought its AI to the glasses soon after launch and that completely changed how they worked. Now they could converse with you and translate signs or give you directions and so much more.
Samsung’s glasses will very likely work the same way albeit with Galaxy AI instead of Meta AI. The lack of a display is quite disappointing but releasing these glasses now does make sense from a business perspective. Samsung wants to get its foot in the door before Meta eats up all of the market share for this line of products.
If this report is accurate then Meta is looking at releasing its own proper AR glasses around 2026 too. It only makes sense that Samsung would try to make a name for itself before that so it has a fighting chance when the technology matures.
If this report is accurate then Meta is looking at releasing its own proper AR glasses around 2026 too. It only makes sense that Samsung would try to make a name for itself before that so it has a fighting chance when the technology matures.
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