We’ve got proof that smartglasses are finally being taken seriously by tech brands, because by relinquishing control over design, they’re working hard to remove one of the biggest hurdles people face before purchase.
It’s all about choice of design, and at Google I/O, Samsung and Google showed and said all the right things, which may lead to smartglasses entering their golden age.
Brand partnerships matter
An understanding of design
During the Google I/O 2026 keynote presentation, the first models in Samsung’s line of smartglasses were officially revealed for the first time. They aren’t designed by Samsung, and have instead been made with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.
It’s a fascinating collaboration. The eyewear brands have clearly been in control of the design of the glasses, while Google has supplied the Android XR software, leaving Samsung to handle the tech hardware. It’s also promising integration with its Galaxy range of devices, giving the smartglasses a widely recognizable “home.”
It’s a collection of major companies admitting it’s best to stay in their wheelhouse, and leave aspects of a very specialist product to the experts. It takes all the companies to agree to ultimately share the attention, and potentially, the plaudits too.
All too often, big-name companies do the opposite and pull everything in house. Tag Heuer collaborated with Intel early on, and later with Google on the software for its smartwatches. Now, it has developed its own software to ensure it not only has complete control over the experience, but also to help target its primary audience. It’s not a bad approach, but it’s the most challenging road to choose.
Wayfarer-inspired models?
Avoiding the generic options
Ever since Meta partnered with Ray-Ban to create the Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses, the Wayfarer shape has become the de facto standard. On one hand, it makes sense, because the style is not only iconic, but flattering on most faces. On the other hand, it makes the landscape very dull when everyone else copies it.
At first glance, it seems Warby Parker hasn’t strayed far from it, but there are some crucial changes that make its glasses stand out. The bridge is the main thing, because Warby Parker has chosen a keyhole bridge design, meaning it doesn’t rest on the top of your nose. The curved bridge itself gives the glasses their own character too.
The early images show them with clear lenses and not as sunglasses. Sunglasses always look cool, so they’re great for advertising, but they’re not always very practical or representative of how a lot of people wear glasses, especially if you need corrective lenses.
By showing them in this way, Warby Parker is showing its smartglasses are not only for the beach but also ideal for someone wanting to wear a classic pair of glasses most days. The brand is friendly, inclusive, and fuss-free, and its smartglasses follow that image. It’s what Samsung and Google needed more than anything.
Gentle Monster is a very big deal
Style and fashion matter
Make no mistake, Samsung and Google need the Warby Parker smartglasses. It’s the model most people will likely choose, just like most people buy black phones despite other colors being available, but the Gentle Monster smartglasses are perhaps even more important.
It’s the model that will help Samsung and Google tap into a different market. The South Korean brand is known globally, but its biggest market is China. Its eyewear is most popular with people aged between 18 and 34, and it is adept at effectively marketing itself to them.
For example, its collaboration with K-pop singer Jennie from Blackpink created a product so popular that it colloquially became known as the “Jennie glasses.” It has continued to leverage K-pop talent since, with Stray Kids member Felix and solo artist Taeyeon being current friends of the brand and ambassadors.
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I’m looking forward to the future
What’s more, it has collaborated with video game makers, creating eyewear based on “Overwatch,” “Tekken 8,” and “World of Warcraft.” It has also experimented with smartglasses in the past too, through a partnership with Huawei. Gentle Monster’s designs are adventurous, reflecting the brand and the people who wear them.
Not leaving success to chance
All-in, or not at all
Gentle Monster is a very different brand from Warby Parker, and crucially, from Ray-Ban and Oakley too. If Samsung and Google want to succeed, they know they can’t just release a pair of Wayfarer lookalikes. They need to speak to the people who haven’t found what they want in Meta and EssilorLuxottica’s catalog.
The obvious difference in designs of the first two pairs makes it clear that’s what they are doing, plus the even better news is that these two initial designs are part of a collection of models due out before the end of 2026.
The Ray-Ban Meta has proved there’s demand for camera-equipped, AI-enabled smartglasses. Google has taken its time developing Android XR, making sure it’s functional and useful, and Samsung hasn’t simply gone it alone to maximize profit and cash in on a trend.
All that was left was the right designs, the right branding, and the right companies to tell the stories. Excitingly, it seems we’re at that point, and later in 2026, smartglasses will go from a single, logical mainstream choice to several, and all speaking to different people with different tastes.
That’s a lot of things coming together, which may signal the beginning of the golden age of smartglasses.
