Samsung Enters the Wearable AI Race: New Smart Glasses to Debut in 2026

Samsung Executive VP Jay Kim details upcoming AI smart glasses featuring eye level cameras and smartphone integration to compete in the growing XR market.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 9, 2026, 11:29 AM EDT

Source: CNBC

The Architecture of Samsung’s First AI Eyewear

The forthcoming Samsung smart glasses are designed as a peripheral to the Galaxy ecosystem rather than a standalone computer. According to Jay Kim, the device will feature a built-in camera positioned at "eye level," allowing the onboard AI to see exactly what the user sees. To maintain a slim profile and lightweight design, the glasses will tether to a smartphone, which will handle the heavy computational processing required for real-time data analysis and AI interactions.

This design philosophy prioritizes daily wearability over the bulky form factors of traditional Mixed Reality (MR) headsets. While Kim declined to confirm the presence of a built-in display, he emphasized that the primary goal is for the AI to understand the user's environment and feed relevant information back to the user via their phone or smartwatch. This "screen-optional" approach suggests a focus on audio-based AI assistance and environmental awareness.

Strategic Partnership with Google and Qualcomm

Samsung’s entry into the eyewear category is the culmination of a multi-year alliance with Google and Qualcomm. Since 2023, the trio has been collaborating on a unified "XR" (Extended Reality) platform, combining Google’s Android-based operating system with Qualcomm’s specialized semiconductors. This partnership already produced the Galaxy XR headset released last year, but executives now view smart glasses as the "mass scale" evolution of that technology.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, also speaking at the event, expressed a highly bullish outlook on the form factor. He noted that because glasses are positioned close to a user's eyes, ears, and mouth, they are the ideal "input/output" device for next-generation AI agents. Samsung’s hardware will utilize this proximity to enable "agentic" workloads—tasks where the AI can autonomously book travel, translate conversations in real-time, or identify objects in the user's field of vision.