Key Notes
- Preorders opened November 12, with US availability scheduled for December 10.
- Warby Parker’s glasses start at $395, while Gentle Monster’s US lineup ranges from $449 to $489.
- Samsung hardware and Google Gemini power camera, audio and hands-free assistance across both collections.
Samsung Electronics (KRX: 005930) and Google, a unit of Alphabet (Nasdaq: GOOGL), have opened preorders for Gemini-powered glasses, turning their AI-eyewear partnership into a retail launch priced from $395.
Orders opened November 12, with US availability scheduled for December 10. Warby Parker (NYSE: WRBY) and Gentle Monster supply the frames, Samsung provides the hardware engineering, and Google brings its AI assistant and connected services.
Two Collections, Starting at $395
The lineup spans nine base frame designs and 30 variations in color, width and lenses:
- Warby Parker starts at $395. Its Alden, Reid and Wren styles offer 14 variations across optical and sun versions.
- Gentle Monster ranges from $449 to $489 in the US, with six base designs and 16 variations. Google says this collection will also be available in South Korea.
Warby Parker offers prescription and nonprescription options, with demonstrations at more than 360 retail locations. Its ordering guidance says prescription pairs can take up to 21 days once production starts, so the launch date does not guarantee every customer’s delivery date.
Gemini Moves Into Everyday Eyewear
The glasses combine a 12-megapixel camera, open-ear speakers and four microphones. Samsung lists a weight of about 41 grams and up to nine hours of battery life per charge, with actual endurance depending on use. The paired phone handles some of the processing.
Gemini’s features include answering questions about objects in view, spoken directions through Google Maps, reminders and real-time speech translation across more than 70 languages. Users can also take pictures, record video, make calls and respond to messages through voice or touch controls.
The launch supports compatible Galaxy and Pixel phones and iPhones, with some accessibility features restricted to Android initially. A compatible adult Google account from the US or South Korea is required.
Google says camera visuals used by Gemini are not used for AI training or advertising and that bystanders’ faces are redacted before processing. A visible recording light signals photo or video capture; recording stops if that light is covered or disabled.
A New Product Category for Warby Parker
The launch gives Warby Parker a technology product to sell through an established retail network. Its third-quarter results showed revenue of $244.7 million, up 10.4%, and 364 stores at September’s end.
Competition is already building. In October, Qwen N1 glasses went on sale in China. The Samsung-Google launch now brings Gemini to eyewear counters, where customers can try the frames and assistant before deciding whether AI belongs in their daily glasses.
