'Everybody talks about what's the next AI device... Glasses, obviously is one of them' — Samsung exec teases details about its forthcoming XR glasses, and when they might arrive

• Samsung has been talking about its upcoming XR smart glasses
• An increasing number of AI wearables are now being launched
• We should see the Samsung specs launch sometime during 2026

We know that Samsung is busy working on a pair of smart glasses — we've even seen them in prototype form — and now company executive Jay Kim has revealed a few key details about what we can expect when the product launches.

Speaking to CNBC (via 9to5Google), Kim said that more tech companies are now exploring the potential of smart spectacles, which are now often referred to as AI glasses because of the intelligent assistants accessible through the devices.

"Everybody talks about what's the next AI device... and I know I've been looking at many different types of devices," says Kim in the interview. "Glasses, obviously is one of them and everybody's looking at it."

Kim also talks about the potential of XR (Extended Reality) on glasses, which are much more lightweight than XR headsets — meaning they're easier to wear all day. Samsung unveiled its own XR headset back in October.

Cameras and phone connections

The details that Kim revealed about the Samsung XR specs include that there will be an "eye level" camera on board, and that they will require a connection to a smartphone. That's pretty standard for the best smart glasses on the market at the moment.

According to Kim, it's important for the on-board AI to understand what the user is looking at to provide information, and that's what the Samsung smart glasses will aim for. However, the exec wouldn't confirm if the glasses would have a display or not.

Samsung is partnering with Qualcomm and Google in developing this device, and Kim confirmed that it's going to be launching before the end of the year — something that Samsung hinted at when it was unveiling its XR headset.

There are plenty of other smart glasses rumored to be in development to take on the likes of the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2. Apple is apparently preparing to launch a product in this category, for example, amongst several other wearable AI devices.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.