Samsung Galaxy Glasses Will Work with iPhones — Google Confirms Android XR Cross-Platform Support

With Samsung's July 22 Unpacked event less than two weeks away, a key detail is gaining attention: Google confirmed at I/O 2026 that Samsung Galaxy Glasses running Android XR will pair with iPhones as well as Android phones. This removes what many expected to be the biggest limitation of Samsung's smart glasses debut.

Why iPhone Support Matters

• Market size: iPhone users represent roughly half the US smartphone market — locking them out would halve Samsung's addressable audience from day one
• Direct Meta competition: Meta Ray-Ban already works with both iOS and Android, so Galaxy Glasses needed cross-platform support to compete head-to-head
• Ecosystem trade-off: iPhone users will likely get core features — Gemini AI, camera, audio — but may miss deeper integrations like Galaxy Ring gesture control and Samsung Health syncing

What Developers Are Watching

The Unpacked event on July 22 is shaping up as the real Android XR developer moment. Google and Samsung are expected to detail the SDK, third-party app support, and how Gemini integrates with on-device processing versus cloud. For the consumer market, the key questions are battery life under real-world AI usage and how responsive Gemini feels compared to Meta AI on Ray-Ban.

Updated Expectations for Unpacked

Samsung is expected to announce eight products: Galaxy Glasses ($379-$499, shipping Fall 2026), Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm/44mm), Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 ($699, on-sale August 5), Z Fold 8 Wide, Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Flip 8, and Galaxy Able open-ear earbuds.

What This Means for Buyers

If you were waiting to see whether Galaxy Glasses would work with your iPhone, the answer is yes — though the full feature set on iOS is still unconfirmed. For anyone shopping smart glasses right now, the Meta Ray-Ban at $379 remains the proven, shipping-today option. Galaxy Glasses are the wait-and-see pick for buyers who want Gemini AI and designer frames from Gentle Monster or Warby Parker. See our full comparison in Galaxy Glasses vs Meta Ray-Ban and browse all options in our smart glasses guide.