By the time Apple’s smart glasses reportedly arrive in 2027, Samsung’s will already be a year into retail. According to a new report, Apple is developing AI-powered smart glasses targeting a 2027 launch, positioning them to compete directly with Samsung and Meta but Samsung isn’t just “preparing” to launch first anymore. It already unveiled its glasses at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, with a confirmed fall 2026 ship date.
That gap matters more than a typical launch-order rumor, because Samsung’s specs are no longer speculative. The glasses run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, skip a display entirely in favor of audio-only interaction through Gemini, and are rated for 9 hours of battery per charge with the case adding 7 more full charges. Samsung tapped Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for four frame styles, and pricing rumors before the reveal pointed to a $379–$499 range, though Samsung still hasn’t confirmed a number.
Apple’s reported approach leans in a different direction. Where Samsung is explicitly avoiding a screen for this generation, Apple’s glasses are expected to include built-in cameras with photo and video capture, a feature Samsung’s audio-first model doesn’t offer at all. That’s a meaningful design split: Samsung is betting people want glasses that disappear into daily wear with minimal hardware, while Apple appears willing to take on the camera privacy scrutiny that’s dogged Meta’s Ray-Ban line in exchange for a more capable device.
Meta remains the incumbent nobody’s caught yet. Its Ray-Ban glasses already combine cameras, live translation, and open-ear audio in a shipping product people can buy today, giving Meta a multi-year head start on real usage data and app integrations that neither Apple nor Samsung can match on day one.
None of Apple’s plans are confirmed, and a 2027 target leaves plenty of room to slip further, the way Apple’s smart glasses timeline already has more than once.
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