AI Smart Glasses: Google, Samsung, Meta, Apple Face Off

As smart glasses become important devices with AI, Google-Samsung, Meta, and Apple are expected to fiercely compete. Smart glasses with small displays are expected to be sold starting next year. Google introduced a smart glass prototype with small displays, cameras, and speakers at its annual developer event. The glasses can give instructions to Gemini via voice. The hardware will be made with Samsung Electronics, and Gentle Monster will handle the design.

Competition Heats Up

Meta currently leads the market with Ray Ban smart glasses. Apple is speeding up its smart glasses launch in response to Google and Samsung's partnership. According to Bloomberg, Apple will advance the launch of smart glasses with Siri from 2027 to the end of 2026 and will mass-produce prototypes by the end of this year. Apple's smart glasses have cameras, microphones, and speakers for music, real-time translation, navigation, and phone calls. Meta is also expected to unveil AI glasses with a display this year and may unveil a prototype at Meta Connect. Reports say the new Meta smart glasses will include face recognition and cost over $1,000. Meta released Ray Ban smart glasses with MetaAI, selling 1 million units last year. Also, Meta unveiled a smart glasses prototype with a display called "Orien" in September.

Smart Glass Advantages

Google and Apple must protect the market as they enter in earnest. The companies were initially expected to compete for XR headsets. However, the Meta Quest 3 showdown occurred when Apple Vision Pro, launched in February, experienced low sales because of high prices and a lack of killer software. Google and Samsung's first XR headsets will also be released later this year. Smart glasses are different because they have an AI assistant. AI is useful because it allows users to share sight and voice while keeping their hands free.

Company Strengths

Each company has different strengths. Google uses Gemini, which is fast, cheap, and understands most languages. Google services like Gmail and Google Maps can also be used. Meta's strength is market leadership and design, and its Ray Ban smart glasses are popular as fashion items. A limitation is that Meta lacks a smartphone ecosystem. Apple's strength is its ecosystem, with customers likely to choose Apple for smart glasses if they already use Apple hardware. Apple's weakness is its AI model, which is underperforming.