Virtual Reality is nothing new. After failed experiments in the ‘90s, the field finally matured in the last decade. VR headsets took off and, though they remained niche, the industry kept attracting users who stayed. It is, after all, a fantastic experience unlike any other.
But VR mostly remained a form of entertainment. It was mostly gamers who bought into VR and most VR video games today are still short, focused on doing something fun and unique for a while without much story or character development.
It’s only been in recent years that VR has been taking off as something more. Sure, VR headsets existed before which were marketed to enterprise clients but they didn’t really ever gain a foothold. The Apple Vision Pro tried something similar and it failed as well.
But now, smart glasses are all the rage. Thanks to modern AI, smart glasses have actually become a very useful piece of tech. AR (Augmented Reality) smart glasses, meanwhile, are even better. Good enough that, in my opinion, I think that we’re looking at the successor to your Galaxy S26 and iPhone 18 Pro.
Samsung and Google have finally entered the field
Welcome to the party. | Image by Samsung
Both Samsung and Google have dabbled in the VR market before. Samsung only recently released Galaxy XR, a direct competitor to the Apple Vision Pro. And we can’t forget Google Glass, a pair of glasses that were perhaps ahead of their time when they first launched.
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But things have changed. Meta and several other manufacturers have paved the way, with the former actually enjoying a massive chunk of market share in this field. Smart glasses, both with and without displays, are now a relatively common sight.
Enter Samsung and Google. Google has released Android XR, an Android-based XR (Extended Reality) operating system for VR devices, and Samsung has just announced its smart glasses by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.
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Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset that was mentioned above uses Android XR. Meanwhile, the new smart glasses take on the Meta Ray-Ban and adjacent Meta smart glasses which have become so popular. Next year will also see the release of the Meta VR Glasses, a spiritual successor to the Meta Quest 3.
In short, VR is here to stay, and it’s getting picked up by the top dogs. The manufacturers that make today’s most popular flagship smartphones.
Smart glasses, which people are much more comfortable wearing in public, are becoming extremely popular. And there’s another major player entering the field next year.
Apple is making smart glasses
The Apple Vision Pro didn't pan out. | Image by PhoneArena
Whenever Apple enters a new segment, it’s big news. The Vision Pro was talked about endlessly in 2024 and the new iPhone Duo is still making headlines.
We’ve known for some time that Apple is working on smart glasses and that the Vision Pro line is on indefinite hold. According to a new report, Apple will release its smart glasses next year, possibly after the iPhone Duo 2 and the iPhone 20 Pro, which will apparently replace the iPhone 19 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iPhone.
That, in my opinion, will be the catalyst. Smart glasses are here to stay, so what happens when a company like Apple jumps on the bandwagon?
It’s only a matter of time before Samsung, Apple, and other phone manufacturers finally launch smart glasses with proper AR displays. Meta is trying to beat them to the punch, and other companies already have such glasses for sale right now.
I don’t think that VR is going to go away now. In fact, as these companies continue to refine their glasses year after year, I think that these will eventually stop needing to be paired with smartphones and just succeed them.
It’s a future I have wanted to see for quite a while. I might get to do so after all.
Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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