[New Form Factor Standardization Competition]③Key to Mass Adoption Lies in Device Connectivity and Reasonable Pricing

Organic Connectivity Between Smartphones and Wearables Is Crucial
Lowering Psychological Barriers, Maximizing Utility

Editor's NoteGlobal Big Tech companies representing Korea, the United States, and China have begun a "next-generation form factor standardization war" to surpass the limitations of smartphones. This war is unfolding along two main axes: "foldable phones," which have established the 4:3 aspect ratio as the dominant format, and "AI glasses," which transfer the smartphone's artificial intelligence (AI) experience to eyewear. Korea is leading with advanced hardware manufacturing capabilities and lightweight technology; the United States, with its powerful AI ecosystem and technological superiority; and China, by aggressively reducing components and dominating the domestic market through outstanding cost performance. This article examines the intense but silent battlefield among the leading companies from Korea, the US, and China.

The era of "one screen per person" led by smartphones is coming to an end. As the multi-device environment—where users can receive help from an AI assistant in daily life without looking at a handheld screen—emerges as the next trend, global Big Tech firms have fully launched a new race to standardize next-generation form factors. Seamless device-to-device connectivity and ecosystems, along with price points that consumers find reasonable, have become key battlegrounds in this technological war.

Competition in the AI Glasses Market Intensifies... Securing Proprietary Platform Ecosystems Is Essential

As of August 6, industry sources report that Samsung Electronics is set to launch its AI glasses "Intelligent Eyewear" (tentative name), co-developed with Google, this fall, further expanding the AI experience of the Galaxy ecosystem beyond screens. With the spotlight on whether this can reshape a market currently dominated by Meta, brisk new entries and intensifying competition suggest that consumer choices will ultimately determine who takes the lead.

In particular, design and lightweight build are now prerequisites, while the ability to connect devices seamlessly has emerged as a survival requirement in this new standardization battle. Only when smartphones and various wearables can exchange information in real time—like a single, integrated organism—will consumers truly experience the convenience that technology offers. If this interlinking fails or connections are lost, even high-spec hardware may be rejected by users.

Currently, Meta commands a powerful market lead by organically linking its Facebook and Instagram ecosystem—with a combined global user base of three billion—with AI glasses, thereby dominating the initial market by allowing users to share and communicate without taking out their smartphones. Apple has adhered to a "closed lock-in strategy," transferring its uniquely loyal iOS mobile ecosystem directly to its new form factor; the company even postponed its launch to ensure perfect vertical integration with the iPhone and Apple Intelligence. In contrast, Samsung Electronics has adopted an "open ecosystem" strategy, incorporating Google's Android operating system into its proprietary manufacturing capabilities.

Industry experts argue that only by building distinctive platform ecosystems can companies survive this standardization war. Rather than depending solely on Google, companies are advised to share software while proving their unique value through user experience-based services that link up daily life. It has also been suggested that Samsung should maximize its "hardware lock-in" strategy by bundling its wearables—such as Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring—and leverage platform connectivity with industry-dominating offerings like SmartThings in the global home electronics market.

Han Sang-yeol, lead researcher at the Software Policy & Research Institute, commented, "The AI glasses market is becoming increasingly competitive as entry barriers fall due to supply chain infrastructure and technology openness," adding, "Industry should work to establish an early market by demonstrating AI glasses in fields such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and education, and by expanding related services."

Samsung Electronics-Google Intelligent Eyewear. New designs by Gentle Monster (left) and Warby Parker. Samsung Electronics

Pricing Appropriate for a Smartphone 'Supplement' Is Needed

Price is the final gateway to mass adoption. Samsung Electronics' recently launched "Galaxy Z8 series" received positive reviews domestically and internationally, but reactions were mixed regarding its price. Although price increases were moderate compared to chipflation, the foldable form factor itself commands a high price bracket.

With the prevailing sense that smartphone prices have already peaked, consumers feel psychological resistance to purchasing additional devices. Most current wearable devices do not completely replace smartphones, but rather act as "supplemental devices" that support and extend smartphone functionality. If these companion devices are priced too high, they may end up serving only a handful of early adopters. The original Google Glass, introduced in 2013, was quickly withdrawn due to its steep $1,500 price tag and lack of applications.

In fact, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) in Korea modeled vulnerabilities reported by AI glasses users through reviews and found that, besides technology misuse, social perception, and the need for functional improvement, price burden was a recurring issue. Jiwoo Yoo, postdoctoral fellow at ETRI's Industrial Analysis Research Lab, explained, "As the main evaluation criteria for products shift from social aspects to functional value, price-utility assessments based on actual user experience are becoming increasingly prominent."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.