Samsung and Google are betting they can avoid Meta’s ‘perv glasses’ problem. Samsung and Google are diving head-first into this cultural quagmire, and while neither company has Meta’s reputation for flamboyantly disregarding user privacy — and Samsung promises that it has accounted for tampering and abuse — by releasing these products they’re subject to the same scrutiny.
But as companies are wont to do at keynotes like this, Samsung saved its “one more thing” for the end: a first good look at its upcoming smart glasses, made in collaboration with Google, Qualcomm, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster.
Details
The problem is so bad that celebrities like Lorde are calling them out during concerts — “Don’t get the glasses – not sexy!” — while others have taken to calling them “pervert glasses” in an attempt to bring attention to the less scrupulous use cases for face cameras.
I own a first-gen pair of Meta Ray-Ban sunglasses and they’re great for taking photos and videos of my kids when I’m holding two water bottles in one hand and a couple of dripping popsicles in the other.
Something neither company directly highlights is the built-in privacy light coming on the first Android XR glasses, which Samsung partially confirmed will work a lot like Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses.
Not all of these are brand-new, with both Samsung and Google having teased these features as well as Wear OS and Android integration for photo capture/transfer, gesture controls, and more, but it’s nice to see a list of the core offering all in one place.
At first glance the glasses, particularly the more traditional Warby Parker design, appear conspicuously similar to the Meta Ray-Bans that have been available for three years now and gone through a few hardware — and culture — cycles.
On stage, Samsung confirmed that its first Android XR glasses would feature battery life up to 9 hours, while also packing at least 7 more full charges in the accompanying case.
The light appears on the opposite side of the camera, both on the outward-facing front of the glasses as well as on the inner frame where the wearer can see it.
We’ll update this article as Samsung confirms more details on the privacy light and exactly how it functions, but based on what was said on the demo floor, it sounds like Samsung and Google have got it right out of the gate.
Statements
«Don’t get the glasses – not sexy!»
Context
After seeing a demo at Unpacked yesterday, I’m encouraged by the various software integrations Samsung and Google are working on.
A core use case, and one that I trust Google with far more than Meta, is talking directly with an AI mo, according to the latest reporting on the story.
Available information indicates that With more details now out, we've got a better idea of what to expect from the features and privacy light on Samsung's Android XR glasses.
Samsung showed off four styles for its first Android XR glasses, two from both Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, in a development tied to the same story.
