Google Intelligent Eyewear opens for pre-order from $395

Google said on November 12, 2026 that pre-orders are open for its Intelligent Eyewear collections, designed with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster and engineered by Samsung. Google's pre-order post, by Shahram Izadi, lists US starting prices of $395 for Warby Parker frames and $449 for Gentle Monster frames. Google says the glasses will be available to purchase in stores and online on December 10, 2026. They work with Gemini and are "only available for use with Google accounts from the United States and South Korea." A compatible 18+ Google Account is required, and Google says "Gemini requires setup".

#What changed?

Ars Technica's Ryan Whitwam wrote: "There are no screens in the lenses". WIRED's Julian Chokkattu reported that "The hardware is identical across both brands."

Google says wearers can say “Hey Gemini” or tap the frames for camera-aware help, plus Maps and Translate. It says Google Translate "will deliver real-time speech translation with automatic language detection across more than 70 languages", and that "Google Maps delivers turn-by-turn directions in your ear." The glasses also have a "12-megapixel ultra-wide camera".

Google says Guided Vision offers conversational audio descriptions for people who are blind or have low vision, or for reading small print or finding everyday items. A footnote says it "is not a medical device" and "it’s not intended for navigation, safe-travel guidance, obstacle detection, or safety-critical tasks." With Aira, users can say “Hey Gemini, open Aira Explorer” to reach "a professionally trained human visual interpreter for real-time support."

Google describes the frames as "weighing around 41 grams", with a battery that "lasts up to nine hours", a figure that "Varies by use, configuration, settings and other factors", and a case that can "recharge your frames up to seven times."

#How much does it cost, and how can buyers get it?

Warby Parker frames come in "Pine, Saddle, and Jet Black colorways". Buyers "can sign up for a guided demo experience at more than 360 Warby Parker retail locations." Gentle Monster's six designs include "dark red, pink, gray, and yellow", "paired with tinted, clear, blue, or brown lenses."

Ars Technica reported that lenses "will also determine the final pricing", and that "we only have the starting prices for these devices, including non-prescription lenses." Google published no prices in South Korean won. It says pre-orders "are live online and in-store at Gentle Monster and Warby Parker" with hands-on demos "at select Gentle Monster, Warby Parker, and Google Store locations." Ars Technica wrote: "Devices should ship and appear on store shelves on December 10."

#Who can use it, and when?

The supported phone list, in Google's words, is: "Supported phones include: Google Pixel 7 series and above running Android 17 September 2026 update and above, Galaxy S, Galaxy S FE, Galaxy Z Fold, Flip, Fold Ultra series running One UI 9.0 or higher, iPhone 13 Pro and above."

At launch, some features need an Android phone. Google says: "At launch, Guided Vision and Aira are only available when paired with a compatible Android phone. May require subscription or membership." It also says: "At launch, Audible is only available when paired with an Android phone."

A Google spokesperson told WIRED "the company will share more about how it plans to expand support to other phones in 2027 after launch." Ars Technica reported: "Warby Parker is only selling devices in the US."

#What privacy protections does Google claim?

In Izadi's privacy post, Google says that when someone asks Gemini about the world around them, "the camera visuals are not saved in your Gemini History" and "are not used to train AI models or target ads." If the wearer asks Gemini to take a photo or video, "it will store it in your gallery."

"Your chats are saved in Gemini History", and a setting controls "whether the text of your chats is used to improve generative AI models."

Google says, "Data stored on glasses is encrypted, and if data leaves your glasses", then "it’s also encrypted in transit to keep it private and secure." Private AI Compute for the glasses is "Coming soon", with no date.

Each pair has "a physical power switch on the frames" that can "turn your glasses completely off". An "outward-facing LED indicator lights up" when a photo or video is taken for the gallery. "If the indicator light is covered or tampered with, sensors are designed to detect that and prevent photos or videos from being taken." The glasses are also "designed to automatically redact bystanders’ faces before Gemini processes the visuals."

Google Play policies prohibit "social live-streaming or real-time facial identification" and "changing the behavior of the outer indicator light." Users "must agree not to record others without permission, not to record in sensitive places, and not to cover the outer indicator light", or their "ability to use the glasses may be disabled."

Ars Technica's Whitwam wrote: "However, it’s not encrypted on Google’s servers." He also wrote: "Your voice interactions with Gemini via the glasses are, as with all other Gemini endpoints, not guaranteed the same level of protection." Google's privacy post does not discuss server-side encryption.

#How does it compare?

WIRED described the glasses as part of Android XR, "with Samsung providing its hardware expertise and Google handling much of the software platform." Chokkattu wrote that they "weigh around 41 grams (10 grams less than Meta's new Gen 3 glasses)". Ars Technica compared the setup to "the Ray-Ban Meta glasses we’ve seen for a few years." On translation, Chokkattu wrote that "the quality depends heavily on the environment and noise level, but it worked remarkably well in my controlled demos, with only a few errors." Whitwam cautioned that Gemini "can be frustratingly fallible at times", and that "These devices will really only make sense if you can rely on Gemini to do things right, and that’s still not a guarantee."

Related coverage: Gemini app on Apple CarPlay, Gemini Personal Intelligence on Android Auto and Meta Muse's Apple Watch companion app.

Our analysis: A useful pair depends on the buyer's phone, Google account country, and whether they need Guided Vision, Aira or Audible. Google's camera-visual promises are specific, including the "designed to" wording on face redaction and the recording light, but Ars Technica reports that data is not encrypted on Google's servers and that voice interactions are not guaranteed the same level of protection.

#What is still unclear?

Google published no prices for South Korea, no Guided Vision or Aira subscription prices, and no final prescription prices beyond the starting figures Ars Technica says include non-prescription lenses. It also gave no date for Private AI Compute, which it calls "Coming soon", no list of phones for the 2027 expansion WIRED reported, and no release window for display-equipped glasses, which WIRED said are not ready.