Heated competition, legal drama, and the future of tech on the line? Start writing the movie now, I guess.
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Gizmodo may earn an affiliate commission.If there’s one thing we can count on this year in the world of consumer tech, it’s thatthat its AR glasses are coming this year.
That’s not the most detailed announcement to be sure, but in context with the smart glasses field as a whole, it’s making 2026 look like the year that smart glasses go mainstream., but they’ll arguably be the biggest name in the space when they finally drop . The biggest name for, and plans to release its first pair of smart glasses since 2013’s Google Glass this year—an audio-only pair of specs similar to the With those names in the mix, you’re looking at a pretty powerful trio of companies in the smart glasses game: Meta, Samsung, and Google. If that’s not an indication of just how much buzz the category has generated, I’m not sure what is. But if you’re looking at that list andfeel like there’s something missing, there may be news on that front, too. Reports have indicated that Apple is also pursuing itsEssentially all the biggest names in the world of XR hardware are planning on making a mark in 2026 or by 2027 at the latest, and that’s not even counting the droves of smaller companies likethat are also slated for release in the first half of 2026. The field isn’t just star-studded in 2026; it’s gettingIf volume and star power weren’t enough, smart glasses are turning into a different kind of battleground—a legal one. Just this past month, Solos, a smart glasses company founded in 2019,, a competitor in the same space. The impetus for the lawsuit is similar to the aforementioned; Xreal is claiming that Viture is infringing on patented AR technology.Regardless of whether either of those lawsuits has merit, it says a lot about a category that any company would actually go to court to defend its technology or preserve its position in a category. Tacitly, what those lawsuits are saying is that smart glasses are worth fighting over, and those battles are seemingly set to take place this year. So there you have it; you’ve got A-list stars, heated competition, dramatic court battles, and a whole lot of sunglasses. In short, a smart glasses blockbuster is in the making. How all of that drama will play out is anyone’s guess, but if you’re a fan of consumer tech, you’ve inadvertently bought a ticket to the show, so I would suggest grabbing a tub full of popcorn and a Coke and buckling up for a wild year of face-worn hardware.7:00 amSamsung Galaxy Z Trifold U.S. Price Is Not at All SurprisingBig tech helped get us into this situation. Workers want it to help get us out, starting with canceling ICE contracts.
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