Forget the Ray-Ban Metas: Samsung's upcoming smart glasses are the wearables I've been waiting for

If past Samsung trends hold true, we should see a new set of Galaxy smartphones — likely the S25 series — this January. But the most interesting product during the company’s early-year Unpacked event might not be its phones. Instead, a new report from Korean outlet Yonhap News suggests that Samsung will also be unveiling the company’s first smart glasses.

Also: Qualcomm’s secret project with Samsung and Google is mixed reality smart glasses, and I’m glad

The smart glasses will reportedly rival that of the popular Meta Ray-Bans, with a traditional wearable form factor, similar capabilities like a built-in voice assistant and audio playback, as well as more unique features like gesture recognition and the ability to make payments. 

Yonhap News also suggests that the Samsung smart glasses will weigh about 50 grams, which is only slightly heavier than the Meta Ray-Bans, possibly due to the omission of hardware components like a built-in display/projector for augmented reality applications. If the goal is to make the smart glasses look and feel like traditional glasses, then Samsung seems to be on the right track.

Notably, the rumored glasses likely aren’t the same pair that Samsung’s been working on with Qualcomm and Google; that collaboration is centered on an even more ambitious XR device that’s powered by a smartphone. Instead, these Samsung smart glasses, possibly designed in-house versus a partnership with EssilorLuxottica as Meta did, will have more subtle, less intrusive technology features.

It remains up in the air whether or not Samsung will include built-in cameras, a feature on the Meta Ray-Bans that, while practical to use, can raise questions about security and privacy.

Also: I took my Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses fly fishing, and they beat GoPro in several surprising ways

We’ll possibly learn more about the Samsung smart glasses during the company’s January Unpacked event, but I wouldn’t hold out for a full-fledged unveiling. Instead, Yonhap News reports that it will simply be a teaser video or image, similar to how Samsung announced its Galaxy Ring in January of this year, with a hands-on teaser at MWC in February, followed by the official launch in July. What’s certain is that the smart glasses market is about to get much more competitive, and that’s a big win for consumers.