Meta and Samsung could launch AI glasses with displays in the same year

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, currently leads the global market for AI smart glasses. However, it is poised to face significant competition next year as Google and Samsung are expected to launch the world's first Android XR-powered smart glasses.

Google recently revealed that the first Android XR glasses will be launched in 2026. They will likely be Samsung's first AI glasses, featuring a camera, microphones, speakers, and Gemini AI assistant, but no display. In 2027, Samsung is expected to launch its first AI smart glasses with a monocular display on one of its lenses. It will coincide with Meta's first AI glasses with a monocular display.

Meta showcased the prototype of its display-equipped smart glasses a few months ago. While they are nowhere near launch, the company was working on a tethered mixed-reality glasses codenamed ‘Phoenix' that were expected to launch in the second half of 2026. However, a new report claims that Meta has pushed the launch of those glasses to 2027 to improve the overall product quality and finesse.

This new launch timeline coincides with the rumored launch of Samsung's AR display-equipped AI smart glasses. Although both have the glasses form factor, they are both quite different. While Samsung's display-equipped smart glasses are completely wireless and connect to the phone via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Meta's Phoenix glasses are wired to a puck that includes the battery and the processing hardware.

In fact, two Meta employees who spoke to Business Insider claim that the glasses look more like Apple's Vision Pro. So, it appears that Meta's glasses sit somewhere between Samsung's Galaxy XR headset and its upcoming AI smart glasses. Meta has its own Meta Horizon OS software based on a forked version of Android, Samsung's smart glasses will run the Android XR operating system.

As the AR and XR market is heating up, Apple, Meta, and Samsung are expected to become the major brands in the space. Apple and Samsung both have already launched their extended reality headsets and are working on display-less and display-equipped smart glasses. Apple could launch its first AI glasses in 2027, while Samsung's first AI glasses are rumored to launch in 2026.