Google Opens Pre-Orders for $395 Intelligent Eyewear

Pre-orders for Google's Intelligent Eyewear opened Thursday through Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, with retail availability set for December 10, 9to5Google reported. Google said in its announcement that it developed the Android XR audio frames with Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and Samsung, and that the glasses pair with Pixel phones, Samsung phones, and iPhones. Warby Parker's optical and sun models start at $395, while Gentle Monster's frames start at $449.

The glasses weigh 40 to 44 grams and include a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, four microphones, two open-ear speakers, and a touchpad for taps and swipes. A physical power switch lets them function as regular eyeglasses. The 245 mAh battery is rated for nine hours on a charge, and the charging case holds seven more charges. They run Android XR on a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip with 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage; wireless includes Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6E, and the frame has an IPX4 water-resistance rating. Hand gestures from a Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch can control playback; a palm-up double pinch on a Pixel Watch invokes Gemini, and Fitbit Air support is expected next year.

9to5Google also reported that Intelligent Eyewear is Made for iPhone certified and requires an iPhone 13 Pro or newer. The iOS companion app handles HDR processing and saves photos and video clips up to 90 seconds long to Apple Photos, using Wi-Fi Aware for quick transfers. On iPhone, Gemini can make calls, exchange one-to-one messages including iMessage, and receive notifications. The companion app supports Pixel 7 and newer; Samsung's Galaxy S and Galaxy S FE lines, plus Galaxy Z Fold, Flip, and Fold Ultra models on One UI 9.0 or later; and iPhone 13 Pro and newer.

For privacy, a white indicator light blinks when photos or videos are saved to the gallery, and recording stops if the light is covered or disabled; Android XR runs a hardware check while the device charges. For camera-based Gemini requests, Google said visuals are not kept in Gemini History, are not employed for AI training or advertising, and faces of bystanders are automatically obscured before Gemini processes them. Every pair has an off switch to completely disable the glasses.

Gemini responds to a "Hey Gemini" hotword or a tap and can conduct contextual visual searches, check Calendar availability, add items to a grocery list, and catch up on group chats. Google Maps provides turn-by-turn directions, and Google Translate offers real-time speech translation in more than 70 languages. Gemini's Guided Vision delivers conversational audio descriptions for people who are blind or have low vision, and users can say "Hey Gemini, open Aira Explorer" to stream the glasses' camera to a trained human visual interpreter. The open-ear speakers work with YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and Audible, and wearers can take phone calls hands-free.