Google opens preorders for Gemini smart glasses from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster
The collections hit stores on December 10, starting at $395, and bring Gemini along to answer questions about whatever you're looking at, with your phone staying in your pocket.
Google opened preorders on Wednesday, November 12, for its new collections of smart glasses with Gemini built in, made in partnership with Gentle Monster, Warby Parker and Samsung. The glasses arrive in stores and online on December 10 and work with Pixel, Samsung and iPhone phones.
The announcement came from Shahram Izadi, Google's vice president and general manager of XR, on Google The Keyword, the company's official blog, on November 12. The idea is hands-free help from Gemini throughout the day, with real-time translation, directions and descriptions of what's in front of you.
The collections and the prices
The Gentle Monster line has six styles in bold colors such as dark red, pink, gray and yellow, with tinted, clear, blue or brown lenses. Prices start at $449, and the collection will be sold in the United States and South Korea.
Warby Parker is bringing three styles, Alden, Reid and Wren, in prescription or sunglass versions starting at $395, in Pine, Saddle and Jet Black. The brand offers guided demos in more than 360 stores. According to Google, the frames weigh about 41 grams, the battery lasts up to nine hours and the case recharges the glasses up to seven times.
Gemini answers based on what you're looking at
Just say "Hey Gemini" or tap the frame. Google's examples include learning the history behind a street art mural, asking for a recommendation while standing in front of a shelf of new releases at a bookstore, or looking at an event poster to check your schedule in Google Calendar. Google Maps gives directions in your ear, and Google Translate handles real-time speech translation in more than 70 languages.
The glasses have a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a feature called Guided Vision, which offers audio descriptions for people who are blind or have low vision. Through a partnership with Aira, users can stream the camera feed to a trained human visual interpreter.
Privacy
According to Google, camera images that Gemini uses on the glasses are not saved to your Gemini history and are not used to train AI models or to target ads. The glasses also blur the faces of people nearby before Gemini processes the image. A light signals when a photo or video is being taken, and recording stops if the light is covered or turned off.
For brand teams, the announcement shows Gemini answering based on what a person is seeing, including making a recommendation in front of a shelf of products. And Google says those images will not be used to target ads.
Key questions
When do the Gemini glasses hit stores?
Preorders opened on November 12, and sales in stores and online begin on December 10.
How much do the glasses cost?
The Warby Parker collection starts at $395, and the Gentle Monster collection starts at $449.
Are the camera images used for ads?
According to Google, the images Gemini uses on the glasses are not used to target ads or to train AI models.
Source: Google The Keyword.