Samsung and Google Collaborate on Mixed Reality Smart Glasses, Qualcomm CEO Reveals

Forget headsets -- Qualcomm CEO says Samsung and Google are partnering on smart glasses

Samsung has been working on some form of mixed-reality platform since at least February of 2023, when the Korean company announced a partnership with tech giants Google and Qualcomm. The trio of companies presumably were working on a mixed-reality headset that would rival the Apple Vision Pro. Google announced a special version of the Android operating system for AR, VR and XR interfaces. "Now we believe that we have reached a certain threshold," Samsung CEO TM Roh said in 2023. He explained that Google, Samsung and Qualcomm will play similar roles in this partnership as they do when building phones together, supplying chips and software to power Samsung's hardware. In a recent interview with CNBC, Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon said that the partnership is exploring a set of mixed-reality smart glasses that would link to a smartphone instead of a headset. It's a much different approach than the rumored headset. Amon said, "But what I really expect to come out of this partnership, I want everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it." In the interview, Amon referred to Meta's Ray-ban smart glasses that link to a smartphone and feature a built-in camera. For Qualcomm's part, they've built a new chip called the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1, which is specifically designed for smart glasses. Amon also claimed that AI will run on whatever smart glasses the trio produces. News has been relatively sparse since the initial announcement. Fast forward to Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked this summer, where Google's Rick Osterloh appeared on stage at the end of the event with Roh and confirmed that "a new XR platform is coming later this year." Only a few days after that event, a new rumor claimed that the potential headset wouldn't launch until 2025. During Google I/O 2024, the Mountain View company created excitement when they teased AI-powered smart glasses alongside their on-demand AI assistant, Project Astra. In a video released by Google, the glasses utilized Google Gemini to answer prompts and can be seen working on a smartphone before switching to the glasses. Google hasn't commented on the glasses since or provided details on whether or not the glasses they showed off are a part of the partnership with Qualcomm and Samsung. However, a former Google XR/AR device developer told our sister site, Laptop Mag, that "Google has no real vision or ambition in driving the XR space." They added that the company wants to work with others on smart glasses projects. The triumvirate's biggest competition won't be Apple but Meta. So, what is Meta up to in the smart glasses realm? Allegedly, Meta has a third-generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses in the works. The company is also producing the long-rumored Orion AR glasses, which are reportedly a significant upgrade over the Ray-Ban glasses. Earlier this year, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth described the Meta Orion AR glasses as "the most advanced piece of technology on the planet in its domain." The Orion glasses might debut later this month during the Meta Connect event, where the firm will unveil all its latest VR projects and AI models.

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

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon confirmed with CNBC that the joint venture is now for a pair of glasses powered by your smartphone. We've only heard murmurs about Qualcomm, Samsung, and Google's joint project since the three first made things official early last year. But what once started as an XR headset competitor to Apple's then-unofficial Vision Pro was met with internal disagreements that led to reset after reset after reset. Recently, in an interview with CNBC, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon cleared the air and painted a more vivid picture. And it's not exactly what most people imagined. Also: I saw the future of AI at Qualcomm's headquarters, and Copilot+ PCs were only just the beginning Instead of an XR headset that would be self-powered or tethered to a battery pack, the chip maker is partnering with Samsung and Google to develop a pair of mixed-reality smart glasses. Most importantly, the wearable will be linked to a smartphone, offloading much of a traditional headset's weight, processing, and battery needs onto a device we're already used to carrying around. "It's going to be a new product, it's going to be a new experiences," Amon told CNBC. "But what I really expect to come out of this partnership, I want everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it." Considering Qualcomm's involvement with the most capable smart glasses on the market, such as the Meta Ray-Bans and Xreal Air 2 Ultra, and Samsung and Google's experience building Android smartphones and platforms, combining the two experiences feels like the most logical and safe path forward. In fact, Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip was designed specifically for mixed reality experiences in smaller form factors such as glasses. At Mobile World Congress earlier this year, the company showed me a reference design by Goertek -- one that it shares with hardware manufacturers as inspiration when building their own wearables -- and the device looked promising. Review: Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses: The best AI-powered AR glasses to buy right now Having tested bulkier VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and, since then, Apple Vision Pro, Qualcomm's reference design was much more compact, practical, and, critically, natural feeling. If Qualcomm, Samsung, and Google can nail down the display quality, optics, and audio performance of the upcoming mixed-reality smart glasses, then I wouldn't be surprised if it draws a similar, if not larger, crowd as Apple did with the Vision Pro. With so many hands in the pot, pricing will be critical. On the bright side, we already have our smartphones in hand, so half of the job is done for them.

Qualcomm Suggests Samsung And Google Are Developing A Pair Of Mixed Reality Smart Glasses Instead Of A Headset

Google and Samsung coming together for a mystery mixed reality device has been the talk of the town for a while, and the tech community has been curious about when the product would be revealed and to find more details about it. Previous reports have suggested that the product is a headset that is being launched to take on Apple's Vision Pro and that more information will emerge as we near the end of 204. But now the mystery has finally been unveiled as the product in the works is, in fact, a pair of smart glasses. Samsung's TM Roh announced in February 2024 that the company is partnering up with Google to bring an extended reality (XR) product and would be using Qualcomm's chipset to power it. At that time, the state of the technology and the initial form factor pointed towards a headset that mirrored the Apple Vision Pro. Although sparse information has been available on the development so far, Qualcomm has recently given away key information on what the product would actually be. While talking to CNBC, Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon mentioned that Samsung and Google have come together to make a pair of smart glasses. Amon detailed that the product coming out of this partnership would be a new one and offer a fresh experience; It's going to be a new product, new experiences. What I really expect to come out of this partnership, I want everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it. While there is no official confirmation about this development from either company, given Qualcomm is also on board for this new product, the chances of the information being reliable are greater. While currently there is not much information on the product, we expect the smart glasses to incorporate AI for varied functions as Amon further shared his excitement on the Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses being a hit and how AI played a crucial role in it, indicating the possibility of the trend to continue for other similar devices as well. We cannot be certain whether the mixed reality device is, in fact, smart glasses until any of the partners give a statement on it, but we know it would be running on Android's operating system. During the Unpacked event held in July, TM Roh mentioned the XR platform to come out this year, so we might see the the product soon.

Google and Samsung are working on a pair of smart glasses, Qualcomm suggests

There's been a lot of excitement around the mysterious mixed reality product that Google and Samsung have been working on for a while now, and it's now been revealed that the product in question is probably a pair of smart glasses. It was officially announced by Samsung in February 2023 that the company was collaborating with Google on a mixed-reality product of some kind which, based on various rumors, was thought to be a headset akin to the Apple Vision Pro. Samsung has yet to deliver on the product, but said earlier this year that we would learn more before the end of 2024. Speaking to CNBC, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon strongly hinted that the product Samsung and Google are working on is a pair of smart glasses. Amon says: It's going to be a new product, new experiences. What I really expect to come out of this partnership, I want everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it. There's no explicit confirmation here, but given that Qualcomm is also a partner in this project, it's the strongest hint yet as to what Google and Samsung have been working on. Amon further explained that he's "incredibly pleased" over the success of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, adding that generative AI was the "inflection point" for this sort of product. AI will apparently run on the device itself, as well as through the phone and also through the cloud. Whether or not this new product truly is a pair of smart glasses, it's based on Android. It also comes as Google is pushing for Gemini in this sort of use case, having shown off "Project Astra" on a pair of smart glasses not-so-subtly at Google I/O 2024.

Qualcomm CEO: We're Developing Mixed-Reality Glasses With Samsung and Google

Qualcomm is prepping to enter the mixed-reality race with a pair of smart glasses. In a recent interview with CNBC, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon revealed that the chip maker, in partnership with Samsung and Google, is developing mixed-reality glasses that can be connected to a wearer's smartphone. "It's going to be a new product; it's going to be new experiences," Amon told CNBC. We got a sneak peek at this last year during Samsung's Galaxy S23 Unpacked event. At the time, Amon and Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of platforms and ecosystems at Google, touted the companies' continued partnership and offered vague promises of new mixed-reality experiences. "In XR, we're working to create a new era of highly immersive digital experiences that blur the lines between our physical and digital worlds," Amon said last year. On CNBC this week, Amon said Qualcomm is "incredibly pleased by the success" of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform. But the rollout of generative AI technology will make smart glasses "significantly more useful," he says. "They are going to grow in popularity. They are going to scale," according to Amon, whose ultimate goal is to get everyone with a phone to "go buy companion glasses to go along with it." The Qualcomm CEO had few details but suggested the Samsung/Google glasses will be lightweight. "I think we need to get to the point where the glasses are going to be no different than wearing regular glasses or sunglasses," he said. So, chances are, it's going to be more like a portable fashion accessory than a huge spatial computer like Apple's Vision Pro. We may have gotten a first look during Google I/O in May. During a demo of Project Astra, a Google employee uses the AI agent to find her glasses and put them on. The phone view disappeared and seemed to be replaced by an AR view through the glasses themselves, with a display.

Qualcomm's CEO spills the beans on rumored Samsung-Google XR collab

Key Takeaways Samsung is working on portable mixed-reality smart glasses in collaboration with Qualcomm. Samsung's upcoming XR product is likely to be smart glasses for new experiences, utilizing AI functionality. The Qualcomm-Samsung collab aims to make XR glasses mainstream; a launch is expected later this year with AI features. While 2024 has been largely defined by AI being integrated into our devices, it's also shaping up to be a significant year for mixed-reality gadgets. Apple started the trend when the company unveiled its Vision Pro XR headset earlier this year, and Xreal has also been consistently releasing some of the best smart glasses on the market. And it's no secret: Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm have also been (quietly) collaborating on an XR project. Now, in a recent interview with CNBC (via Android Authority), Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon shared some new details about Samsung's upcoming XR product. Related AR, VR, XR: What's the difference? Let's define reality with a close look at AR, VR, MR, and other technologies to see what they mean In the interview, Amon mentioned that the collaboration with Samsung will result in "a new product" that offers "new experiences." He hinted that this product will likely be a pair of XR smart glasses, not a headset. While Apple has focused on larger, head-mounted XR devices, Samsung and Qualcomm are aiming to create XR smart glasses that, in theory, should be much more portable and easy to carry around. Samsung's XR platform is coming later this year Source: Apple Referencing Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, Amon expressed that the goal of Qualcomm's collaboration with Google and Samsung is to make smart glasses a mainstream accessory. "I want everyone who has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it," he said. "We need to reach a point where wearing smart glasses feels no different from wearing regular glasses or sunglasses. Only then can we achieve true scale," he added. Amon also hinted that the upcoming XR device will have some sort of AI functionality. He explained that some AI features will run directly on the device, others on the phone, and certain tasks will require cloud processing. However, he emphasized that this integration will lead to "a whole new set of experiences." While Amon didn't provide further details, it's becoming clear that Samsung and Qualcomm are taking a different approach than Apple by focusing on a more portable and lightweight XR device. One of the major drawbacks of Apple's Vision Pro has been its weight, and a smaller, easier-to-wear device could address this issue effectively. As for the launch, while there's no confirmed date for Samsung's XR platform, CEO TM Roh mentioned at the recent Galaxy Unpacked that it is expected to launch sometime this year. Some leaks hint that the launch could happen in October, possibly alongside the Galaxy Tab S10 series. However, there are also reports suggesting that Samsung may showcase only a developer version next month, with a commercial launch slated for Q1 2025. Related Apple Vision Pro brings into focus Google's failure with AR But Google might be cooking something in the wake of Apple's efforts in VR

Samsung's promised XR platform might first arrive as a pair of smart glasses

Qualcomm's CEO teases a new product and expects smart glasses to just be regular glasses one day It's safe to say that Samsung has been building up hype around its future mixed reality (or XR) endeavor. From partnering with Google to teasing it first at a Galaxy Unpacked in 2023 then again at July 2024 at the Paris Galaxy Unpacked event, we're all hoping to see what it is eventually. And now, thanks to comments from Qualcomm CEO Cristian Amon, we're getting a strong hint that Samsung's mixed-reality ambitions will take the form first as a part of smart glasses. In an interview with CNBC this week, Amon stated that the partnership between the three companies would present itself as "a new product; it's gonna be new experiences." He continued by saying he really expects the result to be a change in consumer behavior, "want[ing] everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it." Teeing up that eventually, we'll get to the point where smart glasses are just seen as regular glasses, something that Qualcomm is certainly pursuing as its silicon powers Meta's RayBan smart glasses. These look like a classic pair of Wayfarers - albeit a bit thicker - with cameras, microphones, and bone-conduction speakers on board. The comments from Amon offer the best indication yet for what the promised partnership between Samsung and Google will result in. Unlike previous rumors that have pointed towards a VR or AR headset potentially competing with the Meta Quest 3 or Apple's Vision Pro, it seems that it'll more likely than not be a pair of smart glasses. Considering Samsung has been making Galaxy phones for years and has been continuing to expand its wearable devices beyond smartwatches with smart rings and smarter earbuds, a pair of glasses that act as a companion to a smartphone makes sense. Beyond the confirmation that it'll result in a new product enabling new experiences, though, Amon was pretty tight-lipped regarding further details. Regarding the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, though, he's "incredibly pleased" and called out that generative AI was the "inflection point". It can run on the smart glasses themselves, the connected phone, and the cloud, which he views as a critical way to create new experiences as it's fully embedded. It means that it can see and hear what you hear, allowing it to be more helpful for different queries. Of course, these potentially smart glasses won't be in the market alone. Meta has already teased the future and more feature-filled smart glasses, but Project Astra's ambitions might eventually put them in glasses and smart Ray-Bans for consumers today. Even with these comments, we'll need to wait for Samsung to reveal the exact result of this partnership. Its next official event will be the Samsung Developer Conference on October 4, 2024. Still, it remains to be seen if the company will be ready to discuss it further... I guess we can expect another teasing mention, if nothing else.

Samsung's next big thing in XR is mixed-reality smart glasses

Amon says that AI will partially run on the device while the rest runs on the phone. Last year, Samsung teased an XR project that it had partnered with Qualcomm and Google for. The tech giant never elaborated on what kind of wearable this XR device would be, but now Qualcomm has let the cat out of the bag. While speaking to CNBC, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon revealed that Samsung's formerly nebulous upcoming XR product is a pair of mixed reality smart glasses. Some rumors suggested that the product would be a headset; there had even leaked images of a headset prototype. The CEO added that these smart glasses would link to your phone and it'll be "a new product." The question remains, could these smart glasses be the same device we saw during the Project Astra demo at Google I/O? Not much is known about Samsung's XR project at the moment, outside of the fact it will run on Android and have a Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip. At Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung's TM Roh teased its new XR platform would come out this year.