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If there’s one thing we can count on this year in the world of consumer technology, it’s that We don’t have much RAMand we Carry On THERE many smart glasses. If you need any further proof of the latter prediction, Samsung has you covered.
During an earnings call this week, Samsung confirmed that its AR glasses (which have already been tested) will arrive this year. That’s not the most detailed announcement for sure, but in the context of the field of smart glasses in general, it makes 2026 look like the year that smart glasses become mainstream.
We don’t know much Samsung smart glassesbut they will be the biggest names in the space when they finally drop (sorry, Meta). The biggest name for currently, that is. Google, which works in collaboration with Samsung on Android XR softwarewatching it too own separate hardwareand plans to release its first pair of smart glasses since 2013’s Google Glass this year—an audio-only pair with specs similar to Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses.
Check out the Meta Ray-Ban (Gen 2) on Amazon
Check out the Meta Ray-Ban Display at Best Buy
With those names in the mix, you’re looking at a powerful trio of companies in the smart glasses game: Meta, Samsung, and Google. If that’s not an indication of how much buzz the category is generating, I’m not sure what is. But if you look at that list and still feel that something is missing, maybe there is news in front, too. Reports indicate that Apple is moving forward with it as well own pair of smart glassesand while they may not launch until 2027, they may be disclosed when this year. In fact, Apple is very serious about these smart glasses plans were reportedly scrapped for lighter, cheaper Apple Vision Pro to facilitate the search for its smart glasses.
In fact all the biggest names in the world of XR hardware plan to make a mark in 2026 or in 2027 at the latest, and that does not count the multitudes of small companies like. Xreal, Xgimior Venture which is also set to be released in the first half of 2026. The field is not just star-studded in 2026; already taken crowded And not everyone in that crowd gets along.
When numbers and star power aren’t enough, smart glasses become a different kind of battle—a legal one. This past month, Solos, a smart glasses company founded in 2019, sued Meta and Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica for patent infringement, claiming that the companies stole its technologies to make their Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses.
That is not the only example. Xreal, a purveyor of extremely popular video smart glasses, too recently filed a lawsuit against Viturea competitor in the same space. The impetus for the lawsuit is similar to the aforementioned; Xreal claims that Viture infringes on its patented AR technology.
Regardless of whether either case has merit, it says a lot about a category that any company will actually go to court to defend its technology or preserve its position in a category. In fact, what the lawsuits say is that smart glasses are worth fighting over, and those battles seem set to happen this year.
So it’s up to you; you’ve got A-list stars, heated competition, dramatic court battles, and lots of sunglasses. In short, a smart glasses blockbuster is in the making. How all the drama will play out is anyone’s guess, but if you’re a fan of consumer technology, you’ve accidentally bought a ticket to the show, so I suggest grabbing a tub full of popcorn and a Coke and jumping in for a wild year of face-worn hardware.
