The wearables market is entering a new phase. After three years of near-total dominance, Meta is facing its first serious challengers — and they happen to control the world’s most widely used mobile operating system.
Meta’s Head Start Is Real
Meta built the consumer smart glasses market almost from scratch. In 2025, Meta and EssilorLuxottica reportedly sold 7 million Ray-Ban Meta units in a single year, more than three times the volume recorded the previous year. This made smart glasses a key driver of Ray-Ban’s wholesale growth in the second half of 2025.
According to Counterpoint Research, Meta accounted for more than 73% of the global smart glasses market in H1 2025, and that share then climbed to an estimated 82% in H2. Meanwhile, the overall market expanded by about 110% year over year in H1 2025 and is now estimated to be worth well over $1 billion.
That early momentum seems to rely on a mix that’s quite hard to replicate: a credible fashion brand (Ray-Ban), a conversational AI assistant, and a competitive price range of roughly $299 to $499.
Then in April 2026, Meta refreshed its lineup with two new prescription-compatible models. These added real-time translation across 20 languages, nutrition analysis, and voice-activated messaging.
That update pushed its market share beyond 76% while also strengthening its retail footprint, but Meta’s near-monopoly is now being challenged by Samsung and Google, two of the world’s most influential technology companies.
Samsung and Google enter the arena
At Google I/O 2026 in May, Samsung and Google unveiled their first AI-powered smart glasses: the Galaxy Glasses. They run on Android XR and are powered by Google’s Gemini AI assistant.
The lineup is being shaped in partnership with Warby Parker, targeting everyday prescription eyewear users, and with Gentle Monster, appealing to a more fashion-focused audience. The move appears to be a direct response to Meta’s Ray-Ban strategy, as Samsung and Google seek to compete for the same consumer audience.
According to leaks and official previews, the glasses are expected to feature a 12-megapixel camera, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 chipset, roughly 50 grams weight, and a likely retail price sitting somewhere between $379 and $499.
The intent seems pretty clear: positioning these glasses directly against Meta’s current lineup. A fall 2026 launch has already been confirmed, while AR display-equipped models are not expected before 2027, more or less.
The strategic differentiator is ecosystem depth. Android XR glasses will support iOS compatibility from launch, and Gemini enables live spoken-language translation, navigation, appointment scheduling, and real-time translation of signs and menus within the user’s field of view.
According to Smart Analytics Global, Samsung and Google are projected to ship over 2 million units in 2026, capturing approximately 18% of the global market. That could place them second worldwide, ahead of Xiaomi and Huawei.
Meta’s Vulnerability and the Road Ahead
Meta’s dominance is not without cracks. In early 2026, there was a class-action lawsuit filed in the United States following an investigation that suggested subcontractors had reviewed footage captured by Ray-Ban Meta glasses, including content that was sensitive and private.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office launched a formal inquiry, while European regulators have continued raising concerns about GDPR compliance. These developments could create an opportunity for Samsung and Google to position themselves as stronger alternatives on privacy and data governance, particularly in regions with stricter regulatory standards.
Looking further ahead, Apple is also expected to enter the smart glasses market around 2027. Then by 2030, Smart Analytics Global projects Apple, Samsung, and Meta to become the three largest AI smart glasses vendors globally, which also implies that Google’s long-term position in this area will rely heavily on how well Android XR works as an open platform rather than on its own hardware only. Increasingly, the smart glasses market is becoming a competition between ecosystems.
Yet while the largest companies are competing to define the future of AI-powered wearables, investors remain focused on a more immediate question: whether their growing AI investments can generate returns that justify soaring capital expenditures. Those concerns are reflected not only in individual stock valuations but also in broader market instruments such as S&P 500 futures. A successful release may impact not only the smart glasses market but also the broader technology industry, improving investor sentiment.
