Price to be key as Samsung takes on Meta in smart glasses

Samsung Electronics' smart glasses designed by Gentle Monster, left, and Warby Parker / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics is expected to reveal its smart glasses series at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 in London next week, with the company seeking to challenge Meta's dominance in the market.

Market observers say smart glasses will become the next battleground for global device makers in the wake of physical artificial intelligence (AI), and pricing is expected to play a key role in determining market leadership.

Samsung Electronics in May unveiled two designs of its smart glasses, developed in partnership with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Scheduled to debut in the global market this autumn, Samsung said the smart glasses will allow users to access Google's Gemini AI for navigation, location recommendations, real-time voice translation and text message summaries.

The Samsung glasses will reportedly feature a built-in camera, speakers and microphones — primarily serving as the eyes for an AI in paired smartphones.

They are not expected to include a display function, but are expected to weigh around 50 grams, offering improved comfort compared to existing smart glasses. The expected specifications include Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 platform, Bluetooth 5.3 and Sony's 12-megapixel image sensor.

According to market tracker Counterpoint Research, global intelligent eyewear shipments rose 83 percent year-on-year in the first quarter. Among them, shipments of smart glasses without displays surged 210 percent and augmented reality (AR) glasses grew 136 percent, while virtual reality (VR) devices declined 17 percent, suggesting that consumers prefer glasses that feel little different from conventional eyewear.

In the display-free smart glasses segment, Meta remains the undisputed market leader, with its market share reaching 84 percent in the first quarter.

A model promotes Samsung Electronics' smart glasses in this promotion image released in May. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

As Samsung Electronics prepares to compete in this segment, pricing is expected to be key.

Last month, Meta released its lower-priced Meta Adventurer and Meta Fury models at $299, without the Ray-Ban or Oakley branding. Although they offer lower camera quality and shorter battery life than the flagship Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, which starts at $379, the models are expected to lower entry barriers, making the products accessible to a broader range of consumers.

Chinese companies are also gaining ground with relatively lower-priced products. Alibaba, Xiaomi and Huawei have been making inroads in the display-free segment with models priced below $300. In the display-equipped segment, China's RayNeo and Rokid rank first in their respective display technology categories, according to Counterpoint Research.

According to IDC, another market tracker, the average selling price (ASP) of display-free smart glasses is approximately $376 this year, and is forecast to decline nearly 40 percent to reach $229 by 2030.

“Falling ASPs mean more consumers can access the category, which in turn drives volume,” it said. “But it also means vendors who compete purely on hardware will face margin pressure, and software, services and AI differentiation will become the real moat.”