Google & Samsung AI Glasses: Warby Parker vs Gentle Monster Prices, Features and Release Date
Google and Samsung's Gemini-powered AI glasses from Warby Parker ($395+) and Gentle Monster ($449+): pre-orders, the December 10 release date, features, iPhone vs Android support and how they compare to Meta's glasses.
Google and Samsung’s intelligent eyewear is official. It’s made with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, it has Gemini built in for hands-free use, and the prices are finally out. Here’s everything you’ve probably wanted to know about these glasses, from when you can order them to what they can actually do.
Pre-orders start November 12, release date is December 10
Pre-orders begin on November 12, with in-store and online availability. It looks like pre-orders open as early as 6:00 a.m. Pacific / 9:00 a.m. Eastern, so check the specific stores you want to order from.
The release date is December 10. So you pre-order on November 12, then pick them up or get them delivered by December 10. That’s right around the corner.
Warby Parker vs Gentle Monster: prices and styles
Warby Parker prices start at $395. They come in three styles, Alden, Reed and Ren, in the colors pine, saddle and jet black. You can get them with optical lenses, sunglasses or prescription lenses, and there are different width options too. That’s good news for me, because I always need the wide or large version.
Gentle Monster is a little more expensive, but honestly not as expensive as I thought. It starts at $449, with six designs and different frame colors and lens options. Prescription lenses are available for most frames, and it’s launching in the United States and South Korea. Warby Parker doesn’t say, but it looks like it’s probably a United States-only rollout.
Keep in mind these are starting prices. Depending on which frame you choose, and especially if you add prescription lenses, the price will go up from there.
Weight, battery and phone support
- Weight: around 41 grams, designed for comfortable everyday wear. That’s very light for glasses that have cameras in them.
- Battery: up to 9 hours, and the included charging case can recharge the glasses up to seven times.
- Phones: compatible with supported Pixel, Samsung Galaxy and iPhone models, though some features are Android-only at launch.
On the Android side, the wording makes it sound like they’ll only work with Samsung and Pixel phones for now. If you have a Motorola phone, for example, it may not be compatible. I don’t know for sure, but that’s how it reads. Maybe the Android-only features eventually come to the iPhone too. We don’t know yet.
Gemini, Uber and Google Maps
You can activate Gemini by voice, by saying “Hey Gemini,” or by touch, tapping the frames to ask questions about what you’re looking at. That makes it easy to handle everyday tasks without pulling out your phone, like adding items to your grocery list or checking your Uber status. Uber support is Android-only at launch, which is one of the few features iPhone users won’t get so far.
Google Maps gives you turn-by-turn directions in your ear while you’re exploring. I love that. As long as you use Maps on your phone, you’ll hear it through the glasses.
Translation, speakers and Audible
- Real-time translation: Google Translate supports conversations across up to 70 languages, right on the glasses.
- Open-ear speakers: listen to music while staying aware of your surroundings. They support YouTube Music, Spotify and Apple Music. That’s very similar to what Meta’s glasses do. I don’t think Meta’s glasses support YouTube Music by voice, but music still plays through them.
- Audiobooks, messages and calls: listen through Audible, catch up on group chats, reply to messages and take hands-free calls. Audible is another Android-only feature at launch, even though Audible does work on Meta glasses.
12MP ultrawide camera
There’s a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera that takes photos and videos with a button press or when you ask Gemini. It has HDR and image stabilization to keep shots vibrant and steady, plus spatial audio capture for recordings. That’s not a huge surprise, since that’s what these glasses are, but it’s good to see.
Accessibility, privacy and the recording light
Guided Vision is an accessibility feature that uses conversational audio descriptions to help people with vision impairments read fine print, identify colors and find everyday items. There’s also Aira integration, which streams the glasses’ camera to a human interpreter for real-time visual help. Guided Vision and Aira require Android at launch, and subscriptions may apply. That sounds a lot like what Meta already offers with a different company, where a person can see through your glasses and guide you.
On privacy:
- Camera visuals shared with Gemini aren’t saved to your Gemini history or used for AI training or targeted ads.
- Bystanders’ faces are automatically redacted before Gemini processes those visuals. I think that applies to the AI side, not to the photos and videos you take yourself.
- A recording indicator light lets people know when you’re capturing photos or video, and recording is designed to stop if that light is covered.
- There’s encrypted data, adjustable camera and microphone permissions, and options to review or delete your Gemini chats. Honestly, not something I really care about, but it’s there.
Where to buy them (and why it’s weird)
You can buy them on the Gentle Monster and Warby Parker websites and in their retail stores, with demos also available at the Google Store. Earlier I guessed you’d be able to buy them from Google’s website, Best Buy or maybe Samsung, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
That’s really weird, and I don’t think I like it. Why wouldn’t Google sell them in its store and on its website? Why wouldn’t Samsung, especially with its name on them? This launch is so strange. It almost feels like Google and Samsung are hands-off, telling Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, “You handle it from here.” I want these to succeed, because they seem really interesting and I love smart glasses.
My take: how they stack up against Meta’s glasses
The big takeaways:
- The prices aren’t as expensive as I expected, at least to start, especially Gentle Monster. I can see Gentle Monster getting pricier depending on the model you pick.
- The lightweight design, good battery life and iPhone and Android support are all good things.
- Gemini, Maps, real-time translation, open-ear speakers, solid cameras with HDR and stabilization, accessibility features and a recording light are pretty much what I’d expect.
A lot of this isn’t hugely different from what Meta already has. The biggest difference is Google’s AI model versus Meta’s. It’s very parallel in a lot of ways. You’d think they’d want to add something Meta doesn’t already have.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments on the video.
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