Early last year, Samsung teased an “XR Experience” during the announcement of the Galaxy S23 series. Many (including us) expected the company's XR device to be an Extended Reality (XR)/Mixed-Reality headset that could rival Apple's Vision Pro headset. However, it now looks like Samsung's upcoming XR device is not a headset but glasses.
Samsung's upcoming XR device could be AR glasses that can be paired with a Galaxy phone
When Google, Qualcomm, and Samsung revealed earlier this year that they are jointly working on an XR device, most people expected it to be a high-end XR headset. However, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon revealed to CNBC during an interview that the device is a pair of mixed-reality smart glasses that can be linked to a smartphone.
Such devices usually overlay useful information on top of the reality that you see through the glasses. For example, when you are navigating to a place, Google Maps could show you additional information or life-like turn indicators on top of the reality you are seeing through the glasses. It still isn't clear if Samsung is only making glasses or simultaneously working on an Apple Vision Pro-like headset.
The upcoming glasses are most likely using Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip and a new version of Android designed for AR/VR/XR devices. The latest Qualcomm chip for AR glasses is the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1, launched in 2022. However, it isn't clear if that is the chipset used in Samsung's XR glasses since it is over two years old. It is all a bit confusing, as the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, designed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm and launched a few months ago, is made for full-fledged headsets, not AR glasses.
Amon said during the interview, “It’s going to be a new product. What I really expect to come out of this partnership, I want everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it. I think we need to get to the point that the glasses are going to be no different than wearing regular glasses or sunglasses. And then with that, we can get scale.”
People could pair Samsung's upcoming smart glasses with Galaxy devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, seen in our video below.
During the interview, Amon said that Generative AI was the “ingredient that was missing” from the mixed reality market, and now that it is here, it will help expand the market. He said he is incredibly pleased with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which were launched last year and use Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip.
If Samsung indeed launches smart glasses, it will directly compete with Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and Snap's next-generation Spectacles instead of Apple's Vision Pro. Moreover, it will be a lot more affordable and could reach more users compared to a full-fledged headset.
