Google and Samsung’s Gemini smart glasses opened for preorder on November 12, with Warby Parker models starting at $395 and sales beginning December 10. The Intelligent Eyewear collections also include Gentle Monster frames from $449, with camera visuals automatically stripped of bystanders’ faces before Gemini processes them.
The glasses provide spoken assistance, photography and audio through ordinary lenses without a display. They require a compatible phone and an adult Google account from the United States or South Korea, with support limited to selected Pixel, Galaxy and iPhone models.
Privacy Controls
Google describes these safeguards:
- Gemini camera visuals bypass Gemini History, model training and ad targeting.
- Encryption protects stored data and data traveling from the glasses.
- Camera and microphone permissions are adjustable; Gemini chats can be reviewed or deleted.
- Covering or disabling the recording indicator stops recording.
- An off switch lets owners use the frames as ordinary glasses.
The camera protections arrive amid concerns about harassment, privacy and businesses banning camera-equipped eyewear. Google’s Juston Payne told The Verge that Google Play policies will bar apps enabling social livestreaming, identifying faces in real time or altering the indicator’s operation.
In CNET’s hands-on demonstration, Scott Stein heard speech translated from several languages during roughly 10 minutes of testing, with occasional delays or hiccups. Google Translate supports automatic detection for spoken translation across more than 70 languages, while Google Maps speaks directions into the wearer’s ear.
Gemini can check Calendar availability while you look at an event poster, add visible items to a shopping list and describe nearby objects through Guided Vision. Google cautions that Guided Vision can make errors, is not a mobility aid and is not meant for navigation or obstacle detection.
Frames And Phone Requirements
Warby Parker offers Alden, Reid and Wren in Pine, Saddle and Jet Black, with optical and sun versions plus prescription, lens and width choices. Gentle Monster offers six designs, including dark red, pink, gray and yellow options, with prescriptions available for most frames and sales in the United States and South Korea.
The frames weigh approximately 41 grams, with battery life rated at up to nine hours and a supplied case providing up to seven recharges, depending on use and settings. A 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera captures photos and video, while open-ear speakers handle music, calls and messages.
Supported phones include Pixel 7 series and newer with the Android 17 September 2026 update or later, specified Galaxy families on One UI 9.0 or later, and iPhone 13 Pro and newer. Buyers can book guided demonstrations at more than 360 Warby Parker shops, with additional demos at selected Gentle Monster and Google Store locations.
The eyewear brands will handle customer-facing device and prescription problems, with support responsibilities shared behind the scenes among the companies. A Google spokesperson told Wired that the company will explain plans for broader phone support in 2027, after launch.
