Google and Samsung’s first smart glasses are up for pre-order, starting at $395 in Warby Parker frames and $449 from Gentle Monster. Google intelligent eyewear will reach buyers on 10 December.
According to Google’s pre-order post, Warby Parker and Gentle Monster designed the frames and Samsung engineered the hardware. Google limits launch sales to the US and South Korea, and the prices quoted are in US dollars. It hasn’t announced a UAE price or date.
Tbreak reported on 2 November that Samsung’s glasses were heading for a mid-December launch with no official price. Now there’s one. The glasses appeared in FCC filings on 1 October, after Samsung confirmed AR glasses for 2026 in January.
Google intelligent eyewear frames and prices
Warby Parker offers three styles, Alden, Reid, and Wren, in optical or sun versions. The colours are Pine, Saddle, and Jet Black, with a range of prescription, width, and lens options.
Gentle Monster has six designs in bold colours, including dark red, pink, grey, and yellow. Lenses are tinted, clear, blue, or brown, and most frames take prescription lenses. Talk Android says Gentle Monster models cost $449 to $489 depending on the frame. Prescription lenses could raise the final price.
9to5Google says Gentle Monster offers 16 variations on its six frames, and Warby Parker 14 across its three styles.
| Warby Parker | Gentle Monster | |
|---|---|---|
| Designs | Three styles: Alden, Reid, Wren | Six designs |
| Starting price | $395 | $449 (up to $489 by frame) |
| Pre-order | Online and in store | Online and in store |
| Availability | 10 December, US and South Korea | 10 December, US and South Korea |
Hands-on demos are available at select Gentle Monster, Warby Parker, and Google Store locations. Warby Parker customers can sign up for a guided demo at more than 360 of its retail locations.
What they do
The frames weigh around 41 grams, and the battery lasts up to nine hours. Each pair comes with a charging case that recharges the glasses up to seven times. Google says those figures vary by use, configuration, and settings. 9to5Google reports the chip is a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
A 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera takes photos and video when you press a button or ask Gemini. There’s no display; the glasses rely on the camera, speakers, and Gemini, according to MLQ.ai.
You wake Gemini by saying “Hey Gemini” or tapping the frames. Ask about a street-art mural or a bookshelf, or point the camera at an event poster to check your Calendar. Google Maps gives turn-by-turn directions in your ear, and Google Translate handles real-time speech translation with automatic language detection across more than 70 languages.
Guided Vision in Gemini Live gives conversational audio descriptions to people who are blind or have low vision. Say “Hey Gemini, open Aira Explorer” and the camera feed streams to a human visual interpreter. Music works with YouTube Music, Spotify, or Apple Music, and calls and messages are hands-free.
The glasses work with Pixel and Samsung phones, as well as iPhones. Google lists these supported models:
- Pixel 7 series and above, running the Android 17 September 2026 update.
- Galaxy S, Galaxy S FE, Galaxy Z Fold, Flip, and Fold Ultra series, running One UI 9.0 or higher.
- iPhone 13 Pro and above.
At launch, Guided Vision and Aira work only with a compatible Android phone, and Audible works only with an Android phone. Setup requires a Google Account for someone aged 18 or over, from the US or South Korea.
Privacy
A camera on someone’s face raises an obvious worry for the people around them, and Google’s second post sets out how it tried to answer it. Google’s research found that bystanders were concerned about being filmed without their knowledge.
We set out to design intelligent eyewear so that personal help doesn’t come at the expense of anyone’s privacy.
Shahram Izadi, VP and GM, XR at Google
An outward-facing LED lights up when you take a photo or video. If the light is covered or tampered with, sensors are designed to detect that and prevent photos or videos. The glasses are also designed to redact faces before sending images to Gemini, and Gemini uses directional microphones to focus on the wearer’s voice.
Google says camera visuals from Gemini aren’t saved in Gemini History and aren’t used to train AI models or target ads. Data is encrypted on the glasses and in transit, and Google is bringing Private AI Compute technology to glasses soon. Apps need permission to use the camera, and you can revoke it per app. Every pair has a physical power switch.
Rules sit behind the hardware. Wearers agree not to record others without permission, not to record in sensitive places, and not to cover the indicator light. Breaking them violates Google’s Terms of Service, and the wearer’s ability to use the glasses may be disabled. Google Play also bans social live-streaming and real-time facial identification through the camera.
Tom’s Guide notes that you may need to go into settings and tell Gemini whether your chats can be used in generative AI models.
Samsung hasn’t said when the glasses will reach other markets. For now, the date to watch is 10 December.
