It seems everyone wants in on the smart glasses race — and things are heating up fast.
Meta just went all-in, unveiling three new pairs of smart glasses at its Connect conference, including the flashy Ray-Ban Display, which comes with its own built-in screen. Apple, meanwhile, is reportedly scrambling to speed up its own smart glasses project, even pulling resources away from the Vision Pro team to make it happen. That’s right — Apple’s so serious about this that it’s allegedly shelving a cheaper, lighter Vision Pro version to focus on the future of glasses instead.
And now? All eyes are turning to Samsung.
“Project Haean”: Samsung’s Smart Glasses Are Coming
According to a report from Financial News in South Korea, Samsung might be preparing to launch its own pair of AR-powered smart glasses — internally codenamed Project Haean — as soon as early next year.
Details are scarce, but this wouldn’t come out of nowhere. Both Google and Samsung have been quietly laying the groundwork for AR hardware. Earlier this year at Google I/O, the company offered a first look at its XR glasses, which share many of the same features as Meta’s Ray-Ban Display. Gizmodo’s Raymond Wong even got a brief 90-second hands-on demo — proof that Google’s prototypes are real and functional, not just concept slides.
So if Samsung is truly collaborating with Google on Project Haean, it’s not just a rumour. It’s part of a much bigger move.
The Samsung–Google AR Alliance
At Google I/O, Shahram Izadi, GM of Android XR, dropped what might have been the biggest clue yet.
“We’re taking our partnership with Samsung to the next level by extending Android XR beyond headsets to glasses,” he said. “We’re creating the software and reference hardware platform to enable the ecosystem to build great glasses alongside us. Our glasses prototypes are already being used by trusted testers.”
Read between the lines and you’ll see it: Google is building the brain; Samsung is building the body. Together, they’re setting up what could become the Android ecosystem’s answer to Apple’s upcoming smart glasses.
It’s a perfect match — Samsung has decades of hardware dominance, and Google has the software muscle to make it all connect.
Why Samsung Has a Real Shot
Unlike Meta, which is still seeking hardware credibility, Samsung already owns a substantial share of the smartphone market. That gives it a huge advantage in one key area: ecosystem integration.
Smart glasses today still rely on smartphones for heavy lifting — computing, connectivity, and cloud access. And Samsung already has that covered. Its Galaxy ecosystem includes phones, watches, earbuds, tablets, and even smart home devices — all tied together by One UI and Android. Add smart glasses to that list, and Samsung suddenly has the most complete consumer tech lineup on Earth.
Imagine being able to use Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy phone to control AR overlays, get real-time translations, or even take calls directly through the glasses — all seamlessly synced. That’s a future that feels believable and very close.
Why Now?
Smart glasses are no longer science fiction. Between Meta’s new Ray-Bans, Apple’s rumoured rush job, and Google’s renewed focus on AR, the industry clearly believes this is the next frontier.
And for Samsung, the timing couldn’t be better. The company has the production scale, the global reach, and the design credibility to make smart glasses feel less like a gadget and more like something people actually want to wear.
If it can pull that off, Samsung could easily become the first major brand to make smart glasses truly mainstream — and finally give Meta some real competition.
For now, Samsung hasn’t confirmed a thing. There are no prototypes shown publicly, no teaser trailers, and no release dates. But if the rumors are right, Project Haean could debut as early as 2026, marking the start of a brand-new chapter for Android hardware.
And honestly? It’s about time.
Whether it’s Apple, Meta, or Samsung — one thing’s for sure: the race to put a screen on your face has officially begun.
Written by Roni Benny
For TechMack News | October 2025
