Samsung Gemini Smart Glasses Open for Preorders From $395, Shipping Dec 10

What happened

Preorders opened on Nov 12 in the United States and South Korea, running until Dec 10, when shipments begin. The two collections total 30 designs: Warby Parker's three styles — Alden, Reid and Wren — in optical and sun versions from $395, and Gentle Monster's six designs from $449 to $489, with prescription options across most frames. Preorders run through Warby Parker and Gentle Monster online and in stores, plus select Samsung locations, with demonstrations at more than 360 Warby Parker stores.

Samsung engineered the hardware, built on Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform, with a 12-megapixel camera, an open-ear speaker array and a microphone array. There is no built-in display; the glasses run Android XR with Gemini and Bixby assistants, and heavier processing is offloaded to the connected phone. Gemini identifies landmarks and objects through the camera and answers contextual follow-up questions.

Compatible phones include Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 9.0 or higher, Google Pixel 7 and newer, and iPhone 13 Pro and newer; use requires an adult Google account from the US or South Korea. Some accessibility features are restricted to Android at launch. Samsung describes the product as its first wearable in this category.

How they work

Wearers talk to Gemini by voice: real-time voice queries, live translation of conversations, object recognition through the camera and contextual responses. In an engineering interview published July 31, Samsung said the AI experience runs on the phone rather than on the chip inside the frames, and that Gemini needs a compatible Samsung Galaxy AI phone with an active data connection to work in full.

Warby Parker offers prescription and nonprescription options; prescription pairs can take up to 21 days once production starts, so the Dec 10 launch date does not guarantee every customer's delivery date. In-store demonstrations begin Dec 10 at participating locations.

Key facts

1. Preorders: Opened Nov 12 in the US and South Korea, with shipments starting Dec 10
2. Pricing: Warby Parker frames from $395, Gentle Monster frames from $449 to $489; 30 styles across the two collections
3. Hardware: Engineered by Samsung on Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform, with a 12-megapixel camera and no built-in display
4. System: Runs Android XR with Gemini and Bixby assistants; heavier processing is offloaded to the connected phone
5. Compatibility: Galaxy devices on One UI 9.0 or higher, Pixel 7 and newer, iPhone 13 Pro and newer; an adult Google account from the US or South Korea is required
6. Trial: Demonstrations at more than 360 Warby Parker stores; prescription pairs can take up to 21 days once production starts