New details about Samsung’s first smart glasses have surfaced online, offering the clearest picture yet of the company’s upcoming wearable and confirming it as a direct competitor to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses.
The leaked renders, first published by Android Headlines in collaboration with regular tipster OnLeaks, suggests the device is further along in development than many had anticipated.
The glasses are being developed internally under the codename ‘Jinju’, and the design philosophy appears to be similarly understated to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses: eyewear that looks like eyewear, not a sci-fi prop.
Unlike the separately rumoured “Haean” glasses – which are expected to feature a micro-LED display and arrive in 2027 – Jinju will launch without a display.
The focus here is on ambient AI, audio, and camera functionality, keeping the form factor accessible and the price competitive.
What’s Under the Hood
On the specs side, the Jinju glasses are shaping up to be a serious contender.
They’re reported to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 chipset – the same processor found inside Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses – which signals that Samsung is aiming squarely at feature parity, if not superiority, with its biggest rival in this space.
Each temple could house a 12MP Sony IMX681 camera lens, giving the glasses dual camera capability for capturing photos and video on the go.
Audio is expected to be handled through directional speakers with bone conduction technology, meaning sound would be delivered through vibration rather than traditional speakers sitting near the ears.
It’s a design choice that keeps the glasses looking minimal while still delivering a capable listening experience.
Reports say the lenses themselves are photochromic transition lenses, which darken automatically in bright light – a practical touch that could make these feel less like a gadget and more like something you’d actually wear day to day.
The whole package is expected to come in at around 50 grams, which is light enough to wear comfortably for extended periods.
Battery capacity is reportedly listed at 155mAh – comparable to what competitors offer in this form factor, where every millimetre of space counts.
How that translates into real-world usage will be one of the more closely watched metrics when the device eventually reaches reviewers’ hands.
Android XR and Gemini at the Core
Like Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset launched last year, the Jinju glasses are expected to run on Android XR, Google’s dedicated wearables platform.
That integration brings with it tight compatibility with Google Gemini, meaning users will be able to interact with the glasses conversationally – asking questions, retrieving real-time information, and managing features through natural language commands.
This positions Samsung’s glasses firmly within the growing Android XR ecosystem, which Google has been steadily expanding through partnerships with some notable names.
Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and most recently Gucci have all been confirmed as Android XR partners, suggesting Google is pushing hard to establish the platform as the default operating environment for the next generation of smart eyewear.
Samsung joining that lineup with its own hardware adds significant weight to the effort.
When and How Much?
Pricing is expected to land somewhere between $379 and $499, putting Jinju directly in line with the display-free Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2.
It’s a deliberate positioning choice, and one that could make the decision between the two devices largely a matter of ecosystem preference – Android XR and Gemini on one side, Meta AI on the other.
It’s worth noting, however, that the current global economic pressures and rising component costs could push the final price higher before the glasses actually hit shelves.
As for timing, Samsung has a major Unpacked event scheduled for July, which could bring an official announcement.
A full launch alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Watch 9 seems unlikely, but a teaser at Unpacked – or potentially even at Google I/O in May – followed by a retail launch later in 2026 is a plausible scenario.
It mirrors the approach Samsung took with the Galaxy XR headset, where a high-profile reveal preceded the eventual commercial release.
Looking Further Ahead
For those wanting something closer to true augmented reality, the Haean glasses are the ones to watch.
Expected to arrive in 2027, they’ll reportedly feature a micro-LED display and carry a price tag somewhere between $600 and $900 – putting them in direct competition with Meta’s Ray-Ban Display glasses at the premium end of the market.
Together, Jinju and Haean point to a deliberate two-stage strategy from Samsung.
The company appears to be entering the smart glasses market with an accessible, AI-powered wearable designed to attract mainstream buyers, before stepping up to full AR display functionality once both the technology and the consumer appetite are mature enough to support it.
With Meta already established, Google deepening its Android XR partnerships, and now Samsung poised to enter the arena, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for wearable technology – and consumers are the ones who stand to benefit most from the competition.
