Samsung details smart glasses with gesture controls in Meta challenge

According to CNBC, Samsung detailed features of its upcoming smart glasses on Wednesday, including gesture controls, as it prepares its first challenge to Meta in the category. The glasses have a built-in camera that can capture what the wearer sees, including video, and can read whiteboard or presentation content to turn key information into notes. They can also summarize long messages received on a smartphone through built-in speakers. Samsung's smart glasses use Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 chip, must be tethered to a smartphone, and include a portable charging case. James Choi, Samsung's executive vice president and head of the research and development division behind the glasses, said the company is testing gesture controls with its smartwatches and may also use gestures with the Galaxy Ring, which it launched in 2024. Choi said the glasses will launch this Fall, with more designs and colors to follow, and would be sold through partners' sales channels. Meta has dominated the smart glasses market since 2021, and IDC said the Facebook parent held 69.2% share in the first quarter of 2026. Meta launched a $299 entry-level smart glasses model last month and introduced the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses in 2025. Choi did not disclose Samsung's price but said the product would be positioned as premium and not at the lower end.