Smart Glasses 2026: The Complete Release Schedule

This is the first year smart glasses are starting to look like an actual consumer category instead of a collection of experiments, and for the first time a buyer can actually map out when each one is likely to ship.

Meta — September 23 Event Confirmed, Ray-Ban Gen 3 Reported

Meta Connect — the company's annual hardware event — is confirmed for September 23-24 in Menlo Park. Two new Ray-Ban Gen 3 models are reportedly coming: "Aperol," a sunglasses-style design with thicker frames and a larger battery, and "Bellini," a lighter frame built for prescription wearers — both with a faster chip and Live AI that reportedly lasts hours instead of the current 30 minutes. Full details on what's coming in our dedicated piece.

Samsung and Google: The Android XR Powerhouse

Google confirmed at its December 2025 Android Show that Android XR glasses are coming in 2026, with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster (a South Korean luxury eyewear brand) as the first hardware and retail partners. All run Android XR with Gemini built in.

Samsung kicks off the party. The Galaxy Glasses will reportedly be officially revealed at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, with consumers expected to be able to get their hands on them in Q3. The glasses, codenamed Jinju, include a 12MP camera, speakers, and microphones, weigh around 50 grams, and will become one of the first consumer devices built on Google's Android XR platform following Samsung's XR headset launch last year. No display — all audio and AI, with pricing rumored around $400 and a second display-equipped model planned for 2027.

Google has also demonstrated its own first-party glasses prototypes at MWC in March 2026 but has not committed to shipping a Google-branded product. More details are expected at Google I/O on May 19. Xreal's Project Aura, targeting a 2026 launch, will be the first see-through AR glasses on the Android XR platform — a 70-degree field-of-view device tethered to an external processing puck, sitting somewhere between a headset and a pair of everyday glasses.

Snap — Confirmed Later in 2026

Snap has confirmed consumer Specs AR glasses are shipping in 2026, but has not given a specific month. Unlike Samsung and Meta's display-free, phone-tethered glasses, Snap's Specs have true see-through AR lenses that layer digital content directly into your view, and the glasses do all their own computing without needing a phone in your pocket.

Snap has spent $3 billion developing AR glasses over 11 years. The path to launch has included 1,000 layoffs, a corporate spinout into Specs Inc., and the abrupt departure of its top AR executive, but a Qualcomm chip deal in April reaffirmed the 2026 timeline. CEO Evan Spiegel will keynote AWE USA 2026 on June 16, the augmented reality industry's largest annual conference, where he is expected to provide an update on the Specs launch.

Apple — Expected 2027

Apple is not shipping glasses this year, though rumors suggest we may get an announcement or preview before the end of the year. Gurman has reported the glasses won't launch until 2027 at the earliest. WWDC on June 8 is one possible moment — Apple has used the developer conference to reveal new product categories before, including Vision Pro in 2023 — though the focus is traditionally software and dev tools. When Apple's glasses do arrive, they're expected to follow the same camera-and-mic formula as Meta and Samsung's first models — no display, Siri-powered, reliant on iPhone for processing. The new Siri launching this fall is also expected to let you route questions to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or any AI you prefer — with Siri acting as the routing layer — which would make Apple's glasses the first pair where you're not locked into one AI assistant.

Outside of the major players, Xiaomi is already shipping budget-friendly smart glasses in Europe and Even Realities' G2 — prescription-friendly display AR glasses with no camera, starting at $399, that won a CES Innovation Award — is already shipping in the US and quietly earning serious attention.

When Each Pair Ships

The category is moving faster than almost anyone expected. For the first time, consumers are no longer waiting for smart glasses to arrive someday, they're choosing between competing ecosystems, AI platforms, and hardware philosophies right now.