Google and Samsung open preorders for Gemini smart glasses from $395, shipping 10 December

Design and rollout

Google and Samsung opened preorders on 12 November for their first smart glasses built on Android XR, developed with the eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Google calls the device Intelligent Eyewear, and the first units are due to ship on 10 December. Warby Parker supplied three classic frames named Alden, Reid and Wren, while Gentle Monster designed six bolder models. Counting shapes, colours and lens types, the range comes to 30 variants. Google opted for conventional spectacle styling rather than the futuristic look that defined earlier XR headsets.

Google first presented the glasses at its I/O conference in May, and Samsung showed them again in July.

Pricing and availability

Warby Parker's three styles start at $395, and Gentle Monster's six range from $449 to $489. Customers can reserve a pair on the two brands' websites or in their stores, and some Google and Samsung retail locations will offer demonstrations. Warby Parker's models are available only in the United States, while Gentle Monster's will also go on sale in South Korea, according to Samsung. The quoted figures are starting prices for frames fitted with non-prescription lenses, so the final cost will depend on the lens choice.

Warby Parker395

Gentle Monster449

Warby Parker

395 USD

Gentle Monster

449 USD

Data from the article text

Hardware and features

Google says the frames weigh about 41 grams and run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip. Samsung claims up to nine hours of use per charge, and the case can extend total runtime to 72 hours. Each pair has a 12-megapixel camera, open-ear speakers and four microphones, and there is no display in the lenses. Wearers can say 'Hey Gemini' to ask about what they see, such as identifying a landmark or adding a flyer's event to a calendar. Google Maps guidance comes through the speakers, real-time translation covers more than 70 languages, and Gemini can handle notifications, messages and phone calls. A feature called Guided Vision lets Gemini describe surroundings aloud for blind and low-vision users, and through a partnership with Aira a user can share the camera feed with a professional visual interpreter. The glasses work with iPhones and some Pixel and Galaxy phones.

Privacy safeguards

The front LED lights up during recording and cannot be switched off or muted, and the shutter sound cannot be silenced either. If a user covers the light, sensors detect it and block photo and video capture. Videos are capped at 90 seconds, and recording stops as soon as the glasses come off or the arms are folded. Bystanders' faces are blurred before Gemini sees an image, and users must be 18 or older and agree not to film people without permission. Google has also banned the sale and advertising of stickers that hide the LED from Google Shopping and Google Ads, and it bars facial recognition and livestreaming tools from Google Play. Shahram Izadi, who leads Google's XR unit, framed the approach around the people being filmed.

“As glasses become more capable, our focus is on creating helpful experiences that make both wearers and bystanders feel protected.”

Competition and background

Meta shipped 81% of AI glasses in the first half of the year and sells its own-brand glasses from $299. A $2 sticker has been used to defeat Meta's recording light, which is why Google has banned such accessories from its shopping and ad platforms. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses have drawn the nickname 'pervert glasses' over recordings made without consent. Google Glass, which appeared in 2013, drew wide social rejection over fears of secret recording and was pulled from the market two years later. The Gemini glasses are set to reach customers on 10 December.