Samsung Galaxy Glasses and Galaxy Ring appear in recent filing
Samsung recently filed trademark applications for Galaxy Glasses and a Galaxy Ring, two new XR devices that could launch soon.
VR leaker Brad Lynch highlighted the Galaxy Glasses, and tech enthusiast Alvin added the Galaxy Ring in a tweet. The trademark applications appear on the KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Information Search) website, which contains information about trademarks and patents filed in Korea, Samsung's base of operations.
These XR devices don't have any official timeline yet, but a trademark implies that Samsung is considering products called Galaxy Glasses and a Galaxy Ring at some point in the future. Also, the filings provide a few interesting clues about Samsung's XR plans.
What are Galaxy Glasses?
The KIPRIS designations for Galaxy Glasses include AR headsets, smart glasses, VR headsets, smartphones, and headphones. A full-featured XR headset or XR glasses with 5G connectivity could fulfill multiple purposes like this.
For example, HTC's Vive XR Elite is a VR headset with mixed reality capabilities that offers a glasses mode. It lacks smartphone capabilities, however.
Samsung Electronics have filed for a "Galaxy Glasses" VR/AR hardware trademark
This comes after a plethora of related news of them pre-emptively readying a competitor for Apple's XR Headset pic.twitter.com/w6SJq2WSl3
— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) February 27, 2023
For Galaxy Glasses to have a VR mode, it will either need to be a passthrough camera system (for mixed reality) paired with a VR display, making it more of a headset, or see-through AR glasses with a lens darkening capability similar to Xiaomi's Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition.
What about the Galaxy Ring?
The filing designation for the Galaxy Ring includes smart rings, smartphones, and "Smart devices for measuring health indicators and/or sleep in the form of ring."
Samsung registered "Galaxy Ring" and "Galaxy Glasses" names on KIPRIS.
We're finally going to see Samsung's Smart Ring and Smart Glasses soon? 👀 pic.twitter.com/Vh25dFmb28
— Alvin (@sondesix) February 27, 2023
The Galaxy Ring will be a fitness and sleep tracker. The timing of the Galaxy Glasses application preceding the Galaxy Ring filing by one day suggests the ring could also have AR capabilities.
Pairing a ring with AR glasses is a familiar idea. Nio's Air Smart Ring helps control its AR glasses. North Focals, an AR company acquired by Google in 2020, also included a smart ring for input.
Reaching up and touching the earpiece or waving your hands to select options in a heads-up display could be inconvenient and distracting. A smart ring might offer an easier and more socially acceptable solution.
Samsung's XR headset
It isn't clear if Galaxy Glasses are a new product or if this will be the XR headset that was announced at the annual Galaxy Unpacked event in February. Samsung has been working with Qualcomm and Google to create an XR device.
With Apple's XR headset expected to arrive this year, Samsung could be eager to launch its own solution to compete with its top rival in this new product category.
Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.
