Samsung and Google's Artificial Intelligence Glasses Go on Pre-Order, Explained

Samsung and Google opened pre-orders on November 12, 2026 for the first glasses with Google's artificial intelligence built in — and this time there is a price. Warby Parker frames start at $395, Gentle Monster frames at $449 to $489, and both go on sale December 10 in the United States and South Korea. They are audio glasses, not display glasses: a camera, microphones and open-ear speakers, with Gemini answering questions about what you see and hear.

What happened

Samsung announced the full lineup on November 12, 2026, and Google published its own launch post the same day. Pre-orders opened immediately through Warby Parker and Gentle Monster's own stores, and the glasses go on sale December 10 in the United States and South Korea — both collections in the US, Gentle Monster only in Korea. Demos start December 10 at select Samsung stores.

The lineup is 30 frame variations across nine designs: Gentle Monster's six bolder styles in 16 variations, and Warby Parker's three — Alden, Reid and Wren — in 14, in optical and sun versions. Prescription options are available for most frames, though neither company says what they add to the price. The price is the news: Warby Parker from $395, Gentle Monster $449 to $489. Until now Samsung had only said the price would be "reasonable within the premium range" — which is why DTN's glasses page carried a "price not announced" flag.

The hardware is Samsung's: a 12-megapixel HDR camera shooting 3K video at 30 frames a second, two open-ear speakers and four microphones, Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, 64 GB of storage and IPX4 splash resistance. The frames weigh around 41 grams, and Samsung rates the battery at up to nine hours, with the case good for up to 72 hours. Pairing needs a phone — recent Galaxy models on One UI 9.0 or later, Pixel 7 and newer, or an iPhone 13 and later with at least 6 GB of RAM — and the full Gemini experience needs that paired phone.

What Gemini does through the glasses

The assistant is the product. Say "Hey Gemini" — the first time that wake word has appeared on a device — or tap the frames, and ask about whatever you are looking at: the story behind a mural, what a sign says, whether a book is worth reading. Google's examples run through the everyday: translate a menu or a conversation in real time, in more than 70 languages; get turn-by-turn Google Maps directions in your ear; photograph a whiteboard and ask Gemini to summarize it into Samsung Notes; take calls and answer messages hands-free.

Two features are aimed at people who need the help most: Gemini Guided Vision gives conversational audio descriptions to people who are blind or have low vision, and saying "Hey Gemini, open Aira Explorer" streams the camera feed to a trained human visual interpreter. Bixby, Samsung's own assistant, is available too — but only when paired with a Galaxy phone.

Why it matters

This is Google's first glasses with Gemini built in, and the first product of its Android XR partnership with Samsung to reach a store shelf. Meta has owned this category since the first Ray-Ban Meta, and its third-generation frames are already on sale. Samsung is not undercutting anyone: Warby Parker's $395 sits between Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 at $379 and Gen 3 at $449, and Gentle Monster's $449 to $489 matches Gen 3 outright. The bet is that Gemini, Android XR and two fashion brands are worth the premium over Meta's cheaper frames.

The "Hey Gemini" debut matters beyond the glasses. Google's wake word has been "Hey Google" for years; these frames are the first devices to answer to the new one, and reporting says it hasn't reached phones or smart-home hardware yet. And it lands as Meta's $799 Ray-Ban Display is the only pair with a screen in the lens: Samsung's answer is deliberately simpler and screen-free.

Prices are US list prices. Meta prices from DTN's Digital Glasses & Eyewear page, checked October 20 and November 11, 2026 — confirm before buying.

What it doesn't prove

First, nobody outside Samsung and Google has worn these for a day. Everything above is the makers' own figures, and the nine-hour battery is Samsung's mixed-use rating — real-world use will vary. There are no independent reviews yet; the first ones land after December 10. Second, the privacy design is untested in practice. Samsung says an LED shows when the camera is active, and safeguards are designed to disable capture if the external LED is covered — but Samsung hasn't said whether that check runs continuously or only when recording starts, a gap Tech Times flagged. Google says camera visuals used by Gemini are not saved in your Gemini History and aren't used to train AI models or target ads, and bystanders' faces are automatically redacted. Those are promises in a launch post, not findings from use.

Third, the phone in your pocket decides how much of the product you get, and neither company has published a full feature-by-phone list. Expect the fullest experience on a Galaxy or a Pixel; iPhone owners should check what is limited before ordering. Fourth, the launch map is small: the United States and South Korea, with Gentle Monster only in Korea — one outlet reported Warby Parker frames also in Canada, which Samsung's release does not confirm. Samsung's announcement also says nothing about how long the glasses will keep getting software updates. The honest summary: the price question is answered, the product is real and orderable, and almost everything about living with it is still to be tested.

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