Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While early adopters are celebrating the ability to record everything, a growing group of critics are decrying the loss of privacy. Formerly at full throttle, Apple, in response to these controversies, will reportedly delay its version of smart glasses to next year.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is heading back to the drawing board to further emphasize the unreleased wearable’s privacy protections, which includes “hardware and software-related privacy features not available on current products.” The report, however, doesn’t enumerate what these features are.

If anything, these features will likely prevent malicious recording. Most smart glasses today have a light that tells passersby that the device is actively recording video. However, users have discovered ways to tamper and disable this light, so their devices can start recording without alerting others. Apple will likely introduce better measure to prevent such tampering.

Additionally, it’s also possible that Apple introduces a version of the smart glasses without a camera attached.

Because of these new initiatives, the brand will delay the launch of the wearable to sometime next year. Previously, there was heavy speculation that the smart glasses will launch later this year.

On the bright side, there’s still substantial reason to believe that Apple is launching its first ever foldable device later this year.

SEE ALSO: New York becomes first state to ban smart glasses

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 in the Philippines alongside the new Galaxy Z8 Series.

The new wearables expand Samsung’s smartwatch lineup with upgraded health tracking, AI-powered wellness features, and faster performance. The Galaxy Watch9 is designed for everyday health and fitness, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 caters to users looking for a more rugged smartwatch for outdoor adventures.

Here’s how much they cost in the Philippines.

Pricing

Galaxy Watch Ultra2

• PHP 44,990

Galaxy Watch9

• 40mm — PHP 22,990
• 46mm — PHP 24,990

Availability

Pre-orders begin on July 23 through Samsung Philippines and authorized retailers. Both smartwatches will be offered in multiple color options depending on the model. 

Pre-order offers

Customers who pre-order either smartwatch can enjoy several launch offers, including:

• Up to 15% off
• Up to 36 months of 0% installment plans with participating banks
• Up to 50% off through eligible trade-ins
• Up to 36% off Samsung Care+ device protection 

Galaxy Watch9

The Galaxy Watch9 is Samsung’s latest everyday smartwatch. It features the company’s newest health and wellness platform with AI-powered insights, comprehensive health tracking, and everyday activity monitoring.

Powering the experience is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite platform, which promises faster performance while supporting Samsung’s latest wellness features. The watch is available in 40mm and 46mm sizes.

Galaxy Watch Ultra2

The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 builds on Samsung’s premium outdoor smartwatch with a durable titanium construction, improved comfort, and new sport tracking modes such as Trail Run and Diving.

Like the Galaxy Watch9, it runs on the Snapdragon Wear Elite platform and supports Samsung’s latest AI-powered health and wellness tools. 

Samsung has unveiled its first intelligent eyewear, expanding the Galaxy ecosystem beyond smartphones with a new wearable developed alongside eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.

Introduced at Galaxy Unpacked in London, the new glasses combine lightweight everyday designs with Google’s Android XR platform and Gemini, bringing hands-free AI experiences into a familiar form factor.

Designed for everyday wear

Rather than taking a technology-first approach, Samsung says it designed the eyewear to look and feel like a regular pair of glasses.

The company partnered with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to offer different frame styles, colors, and lens options while keeping the glasses lightweight enough for daily use. Samsung says the eyewear can last up to nine hours on a single charge, with the charging case providing up to seven additional full charges.

Gemini, without reaching for your phone

The intelligent eyewear serves as a hands-free extension of the Galaxy experience.

Powered by the Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 platform and developed with Google, the glasses integrate Gemini directly into the wearable experience. A built-in camera provides visual context, allowing the AI assistant to better understand what users are looking at while responding to requests in real time.

Samsung says users can summarize long messages, hear information read aloud, translate conversations, and control the experience using voice commands or gestures through connected Galaxy devices. The glasses can also capture information from a whiteboard or meeting, organize it in Samsung Notes, provide navigation guidance, and share a live point of view during video calls.

Two launch designs

Samsung introduced two launch designs at Unpacked.

The Gentle Monster edition features a slim black frame with softly rounded edges, while the Warby Parker version adopts a richer brown finish with a subtly upswept brow line for a more classic everyday look. Samsung says it worked closely with both partners to refine the fit around the forehead and ears for improved comfort during extended wear.

Samsung did not announce pricing or availability during the presentation.