Preorders for Google and Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear opened November 12: Warby Parker frames from $395, Gentle Monster from $449, in stores and shipping December 10. They work with Pixel 7 and later, recent Galaxy phones and iPhone 13 Pro and later, but only with US or South Korean Google accounts, so Canada is out for now.
You can now preorder the first Android XR glasses. Google opened preorders on November 12 for its Intelligent Eyewear, built by Samsung with frames from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Warby Parker styles start at $395 and Gentle Monster styles at $449. Both go on sale in stores and online, and preorders ship, on December 10. If you use an iPhone, they work with yours: Google lists iPhone 13 Pro and later as supported.
What you get
These are audio glasses with a camera and Gemini. There is no display in the lens. According to Google and 9to5Google:
- Price: $395 and up for Warby Parker’s three styles (Alden, Reid and Wren, optical or sun, in Pine, Saddle and Jet Black). $449 and up for Gentle Monster’s six designs. Prescription lenses are available for most frames.
- Camera: 12-megapixel ultra-wide, with HDR and stabilization. Videos run up to 90 seconds, per 9to5Google.
- Audio: open-ear speakers and four microphones, with YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music and Audible support.
- Battery: up to nine hours, plus a charging case that holds about seven more charges. Google gives both figures as estimates that vary with use.
- Weight: about 41 grams, according to Google. 9to5Google puts the range at 40 to 44 grams across 30 frame designs.
- Controls: “Hey Gemini,” a touchpad on the frame and a physical off switch.
Gemini handles visual questions, Google Maps walking directions in your ear and live speech translation in more than 70 languages, according to Google. The glasses also take calls and read and answer messages.
Who can use them
Check two things before you order:
- Your phone. Supported: Pixel 7 and later on the Android 17 September 2026 update or newer, Galaxy S, S FE and Z Fold, Flip and Fold Ultra phones on One UI 9.0 or newer, and iPhone 13 Pro and later. Android Authority points out that other Android brands are not on the list.
- Your country. Google’s fine print says the glasses work only with Google accounts from the United States and South Korea, for users 18 and over. Gentle Monster’s collection sells in those two countries. Canadian readers cannot use them yet.
On iPhone, Google’s Glasses app handles processing such as HDR and saves photos and videos to Apple Photos. Gemini can place calls, send one-to-one messages including iMessage and show notifications, according to 9to5Google. The glasses carry Made for iPhone certification for fast Wi-Fi media transfer.
How Google handles the camera
Google spent much of the launch on privacy. According to its announcement:
- A light shows when you take a photo or video for your gallery, and the glasses stop recording if the light is covered or disabled.
- Images Gemini looks at to answer a question are not saved in Gemini History and are not used to train models or target ads. Google says it blurs bystanders’ faces before Gemini processes them.
- Data on the glasses is encrypted, and you choose which apps can use the camera and microphones.
9to5Google adds that Gemini’s camera requests do not turn on the light, because those images are not saved. People around you get no signal when you ask Gemini what you are looking at.
What to do
- Try before you buy. Warby Parker offers guided demos at more than 360 US stores, and Google Store and select Gentle Monster locations have demo units. Fit and weight matter more than specs for something on your face all day.
- If you have an older iPhone or a non-Samsung Android phone, wait. Google has announced no wider support.
- For work calls, compare first. Our smart glasses for work guide covers what audio glasses do well on calls and where they fall short.
iPhone support makes these a real option for Mac teams
This is our analysis. The first wave of Android XR glasses could have been a Pixel and Galaxy accessory. Supporting iPhone from day one, with iMessage and Apple Music, means the glasses compete for most phone owners in the US. Warby Parker’s 360-plus stores also give buyers somewhere to try them on, which few smart glasses offer.
The open question for work use is the camera light. Google built a hard rule for photos and video, but the camera Gemini uses for questions runs with no visible signal. In meetings, offices and client sites, people will judge that on trust, so expect some workplaces to set their own rules before these show up at the desk. This follows Warby Parker’s November 5 date for the preorders, which came with no price.