News

Samsung Smart Glasses Leak Hints At Android XR Push

Images show a lower-cost wearable tied to Android XR, as Samsung lines up for a broader move into AI-driven eyewear.

Published

4 months ago

April 29, 2026

samsung smart glasses leak hints at android xr push

Leaked images of Samsung’s first smart glasses point to a sub-$500 wearable, marking the company’s clearest step yet into extended reality hardware.

The device, codenamed Jinju, is expected to run Android XR with tight integration of Google Gemini. It reportedly skips a display altogether. That puts it closer to audio-led devices like Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses than full mixed-reality gear.

Specs are still fluid, but leaks point to a 12MP camera, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 chip, and bone-conduction audio. Pricing is tipped between $380 and $500.

A second model, Haean, is already in development for 2027. That version is expected to add a micro-LED display and land at a higher price bracket.

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A July Unpacked reveal is possible, though a full launch alongside devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Galaxy Watch 9 looks unlikely.

Samsung is moving in step with rivals chasing lighter, AI-first wearables. The form factor is still unsettled, though the company’s direction is clear.

News

Samsung And Spotify Offer Free Premium Deal In MENA

Nearly seven in ten streams in the region come from 18-to-34-year-olds — the audience Samsung is hoping to entice into its ecosystem.

Published

5 days ago

August 7, 2026

Nour Nasir

Samsung

Samsung has announced a partnership with Spotify spanning the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye, bundling Spotify Premium with select devices across its ecosystem. The headline offer — up to four months of Premium for free — is a first for the region.

Customers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Türkiye who buy any OLED or 98-inch television, or any Galaxy S or Z series mobile device, get four months of Spotify Premium. The offer, tiered by market and device, is available at retail and on Samsung.com, and redeemed through the Samsung Promotion and Samsung Members apps.

For Samsung, the strategy is less about free music than about lock-in. The Korean tech giant’s pitch is continuity: a track starts on a Galaxy smartphone through Galaxy Buds on the commute, moves to a Samsung TV and soundbar in the living room, and stays controllable from a Galaxy Watch. The more seamlessly music travels between those devices, the harder it becomes to swap any one of them for a rival’s.

“Technology should bring people closer to the things they love, and few things connect people the way music does,” said Omar Saheb, Regional VP of Marketing and Online Business at Samsung Electronics MENA. The partnership, he added, gives customers “a genuine reason to choose Samsung for the experience, not only the product”.

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For subscribers, Premium brings the usual package: ad-free listening, offline downloads, richer audio quality on Galaxy Buds and Samsung sound devices, and Jam, which lets friends build a shared queue.

“At Spotify, we are always working to make every listening moment feel more personal, meaningful, and worth it,” said Rami Jamal, Head of Partnerships at Spotify for South Asia, Middle East, and Africa.

The demographics go a long way to explaining the strategy. Across MENA, Türkiye, and Pakistan, nearly seven in ten Spotify streams come from listeners aged 18 to 34, according to the company — precisely the audience Samsung wants inside its hardware ecosystem before buying habits harden.