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Gemini smart glasses open for preorder at $395 with December 10 release

5 hours ago
6 min read
Gemini smart glasses open for preorder at $395 with December 10 release, Data Studios original cover

Preorders for the first smart glasses built around Gemini opened on November 12, 2026, with sales and shipping set to begin on December 10. The glasses were designed by Google with two eyewear brands, Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, and engineered by Samsung, which describes the full lineup as its intelligent eyewear range. Both companies published their announcements on the same day, Google on its official blog and Samsung through its US and global newsrooms.


The entry price is $395 for the Warby Parker Intelligent Eyewear collection. The Gentle Monster Intelligent Eyewear collection starts at $449, and Samsung lists a range of $449 to $489 depending on the model. Across both brands there are 30 designs: 14 Warby Parker variations based on three frame styles, and 16 Gentle Monster variations based on six frame styles. Prescription lenses are offered for most frames.


The launch is limited to two countries. Warby Parker frames will be sold in the United States only, while Gentle Monster frames go on sale in the United States and South Korea. Google adds that the glasses can only be used with Google accounts from those two countries, and that the account holder must be 18 or older, with age verification required at device activation.


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GEMINI SMART GLASSES COLLECTIONS, PRICES AND RELEASE DATES.


The two collections differ mainly in style and price, while the hardware and the Gemini features are the same. Warby Parker offers three styles named Alden, Reid and Wren, in optical or sun versions and in Pine, Saddle and Jet Black colorways, with a range of width and lens options. Gentle Monster goes for bolder designs in colors that Google lists as dark red, pink, gray and yellow, with tinted, clear, blue or brown lenses.


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Collection

Designs

US price

Countries

Preorders

On sale

Warby Parker Intelligent Eyewear

3 frame styles, 14 variations

From $395

United States

November 12, 2026

December 10, 2026

Gentle Monster Intelligent Eyewear

6 frame styles, 16 variations

$449 to $489

United States, South Korea

November 12, 2026

December 10, 2026


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Preorders run through the online and retail channels of the two eyewear brands. Google says Warby Parker will run guided demos in more than 360 of its retail locations, and that hands-on demos will also be available in select Gentle Monster and Google Store locations. Samsung adds in-store demos from December 10 at seven Samsung Experience Stores in the United States (The Americana at Brand, Los Cerritos Center, Roosevelt Field, Queens Center, The Galleria, Stonebriar Centre and Mall of America) and at seven Samsung stores in Korea. Samsung notes that preorder availability is limited to select channels and locations. Neither company has published Korean prices, and neither announcement mentions launch promotions or bundles.


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WHICH PHONES WORK WITH THE GEMINI GLASSES.


The glasses rely on what Samsung calls split computing, which moves part of the processing to the connected phone. That makes phone compatibility the first thing a buyer has to check, and the requirements are fairly recent across all three platforms.


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Phone family

Supported models

Minimum software

Samsung Galaxy

Galaxy S, Galaxy S FE, Galaxy Z Fold, Flip and Fold Ultra series

One UI 9.0

Google Pixel

Pixel 7 series and newer

Android 17 (September 2026 update)

Apple iPhone

iPhone 13 Pro and newer (US documents)

iOS 26.6 (global release)


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The iPhone requirement is stated slightly differently in the official documents. Google's blog post and Samsung's US release both say iPhone 13 Pro and above, while Samsung's global newsroom lists iPhone 13 and later running iOS 26.6 or later. US buyers with a standard iPhone 13 should treat the US wording as the reference until the companies clarify it.


iPhone owners also get a smaller feature set at launch. Google says Gemini's Guided Vision, the Aira integration and Audible work only with a compatible Android phone for now. Samsung's global release adds that Bixby is available as a second assistant only when the glasses are paired with a Galaxy phone, while Gemini is the assistant on every supported phone and requires an internet connection and a Google account.


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GEMINI GLASSES HARDWARE AND BATTERY LIFE.


The frames carry no display. Interaction happens through voice, open-ear speakers and touch controls on the frame, with Gemini activated by saying "Hey Gemini" or by tapping the frames. Samsung's specification sheet gives the most complete list of components.


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Specification

Official figure

Processor

Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 Platform

Frame weight

40 to 44 g depending on model (Google: around 41 g)

Camera

12MP HDR, photos 3,024 x 4,032 (3:4 portrait)

Video

3K at 30fps or 1080p, HDR up to 2K

Audio

2 open-ear speakers, 4 microphones

Memory and storage

2GB memory, 64GB storage

Battery

245mAh, up to 9 hours per charge

With charging case

Up to 72 hours (Google: up to seven recharges)

Charging case weight

167 g (Warby Parker), 195 g (Gentle Monster)

Durability

IPX4

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4


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Google describes the camera as a 12-megapixel ultra-wide unit with HDR processing, image stabilization and spatial audio capture. Both companies give battery figures that depend on use and settings, so the nine-hour rating describes a best case, and a day with frequent video recording and visual queries is likely to drain the frames sooner.


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WHAT GEMINI CAN DO ON THE GLASSES.


The core feature is visual questioning. The wearer can ask Gemini about what is in front of them, such as a landmark, a piece of street art or an object, and follow up in natural language. Google's examples go beyond identification: checking Calendar availability against the date on an event poster, adding items the wearer is looking at to a grocery list, or getting a reminder for the next meeting. Samsung's own example captures a whiteboard, has Gemini summarize the key points and saves the result to Samsung Notes.


Navigation and translation use Google's own services. Google Maps gives turn-by-turn directions through the speakers, and Google Translate provides real-time speech translation with automatic language detection across more than 70 languages. Samsung adds menu translation as an example and notes that translation and navigation vary by language, region and service.


For people who are blind or have low vision, Guided Vision gives spoken descriptions of the surroundings. Google states plainly that it is not a medical device, mobility aid or navigation tool and that it can make mistakes. Through the Aira integration, the wearer can say "Hey Gemini, open Aira Explorer" to reach a human visual interpreter, a service that may require a separate Aira subscription.


The rest of the feature list covers everyday audio and phone use: music from YouTube Music, Spotify or Apple Music, audiobooks on Audible, messaging, hands-free calls, and photo and video capture by button or voice. Samsung also describes notification handling that groups and summarizes alerts by context and reads the important ones aloud. Readers comparing Gemini access across devices can find the subscription tiers in our guide to Gemini plans and prices; neither announcement says that a paid Gemini plan is required to use the glasses. Gemini's arrival in cars follows a similar pattern, as covered in our report on Gemini on Apple CarPlay.


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CAMERA PRIVACY RULES FOR THE GEMINI GLASSES.


A camera worn on the face raises obvious questions for the people around the wearer, and both companies spend a large part of their announcements on safeguards. An external LED lights up whenever the camera is active, and the glasses are designed to block capture if that light is covered, disabled or malfunctioning. Samsung adds that only the user can turn on camera features and that the camera switches off when the glasses are taken off, while Google notes that every pair has an off switch.


On data handling, Google says that camera visuals sent to Gemini are not saved in Gemini History, are not used to train AI models and are not used for ad targeting. Faces of bystanders are blurred automatically before Gemini processes an image, and Samsung describes this as on-device de-identification applied to all Gemini visual queries. Video from visual queries is held temporarily and not stored, voice and video are not used for training by default, and audio is used for model improvement only if the user opts in. Data on the glasses is encrypted, including in transit, and users can review or delete their Gemini chats and control which apps can reach the camera and microphone.


Audio recording gets its own rule. Samsung says audio-only recording filters out surrounding sounds, including the voices of other people, and that the open-ear speakers are designed to limit sound leakage.


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GEMINI SMART GLASSES: CONFIRMED FACTS AND OPEN QUESTIONS.


The official record is clear on the main buying facts. Preorders opened on November 12, sales and shipping start on December 10, the Warby Parker range starts at $395 in the United States, the Gentle Monster range costs $449 to $489, and the glasses work with recent Galaxy, Pixel and iPhone models in the United States and South Korea only. The hardware is the same across all 30 designs, with a 12MP camera, up to nine hours of battery life and no display.


Several points remain undocumented. Neither company has published Korean prices or a timeline for other countries, the iPhone 13 requirement differs between the US and global documents, and the Android-only status of Guided Vision, Aira and Audible has no announced end date for iPhone users. Battery life under heavy camera use has not been measured independently. Buyers who want the cheapest entry point and live in the United States will find it in the Warby Parker frames, while buyers in Korea can only choose from the Gentle Monster collection when sales begin on December 10.


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