Google Ships Intelligent Eyewear From $395: The Full Spec Sheet

By Amara Osei

Google's Intelligent Eyewear starts at $395, takes pre-orders today through Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, and ships on December 10. After years of development, this is Google's second attempt at smart glasses — and this time Samsung engineered the hardware.

What do the glasses actually do?

They run Android XR on a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The frames weigh 40-44 grams with the weight balanced evenly, and Google positions them for all-day wear rather than the sunglasses-heavy approach of rivals. They support both Android and iOS.

A 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera shoots 3K video at 30FPS or 1080p, with image stabilization and HDR processing. Four microphones capture spatial audio, and two open-ear speakers deliver what Google calls balanced audio and clear vocals.

Control comes through three routes: a touchpad accepting taps and swipes, voice via a new "Hey Gemini" hotword, or paired Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch gestures, with Fitbit Air support promised next year.

• Double pinch = "tap" gesture to play/pause
• Wrist turn = "swipe back" to close an experience
• Palm-up double pinch = "tap and hold" to invoke Gemini (Pixel Watch only)

The watch gestures carry a clear pitch: hands-free control for people whose hands are occupied. The Fitbit Air date, notably, is the only "next year" promise in the announcement — unspecified.

How does Google handle the privacy question?

Camera glasses live or die on trust, and Google has loaded the spec sheet with safeguards. Each pair carries a physical on/off switch so users can "wear them as regular glasses only." A white indicator light fires when a photo or video is captured and saved.

The harder claims: if that light is covered or maliciously disabled, recording stops, and Google runs a hardware check while the glasses charge. Recording also halts when the user takes them off. Google did not say how the hardware check detects all tampering scenarios — that mechanism remains a black box.

Gemini commands that invoke the camera, such as visual search or translation, will not save images or videos to Gemini History. Those visuals will not train AI models or feed ad targeting, and the glasses will "automatically redact bystanders' faces from these visuals before Gemini processes them." Strong commitments on paper; independent verification will have to wait for December units.

What are the battery and connectivity numbers?

A 245mAh battery is rated at nine hours on a single charge. The charging case — Gentle Monster's is shown in the announcement — holds seven full charges, with power transferred through contact pins on the underside of the nose bridge. Connectivity includes Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6E, and IPX4 water resistance.

What do the two brands sell?

Warby Parker Intelligent Eyewear comes in three styles — Alden, Reid, and Wren, drawn from the brand's "most beloved silhouettes" — in 14 variations. Pricing starts at $395 for optical and sun styles in Pine, Saddle, and Jet Black.

Gentle Monster's collection offers six frames in colors including dark red, pink, gray, and yellow, in 16 total variations, paired with tinted, clear, blue, or brown lenses. Prescription options cover most designs. Pricing starts at $449, with availability in the US and South Korea.

Which use cases does Google lead with?

Gemini anchors the pitch: contextual visual searches, asking about your day, and task completion. Google's own examples run from the practical to the promotional:

• "…learn the story behind a street art mural you are passing by, ask for a tailored recommendation from a 'New Arrivals' bookshelf, or look at an event poster to check your Calendar availability on the spot."
• "…you can add items to your grocery list with a glance or check on your Uber's status."
• "…use your glasses to catch up on your missed group chats, respond to messages, and take phone calls hands-free."

Google Maps provides turn-by-turn directions, and real-time Google Translate covers more than 70 languages. Gemini Guided Vision "offers conversational audio descriptions to people with vision impairments" for reading fine print, identifying color differences, finding items, and exploring unfamiliar places. The glasses also double as always-available headphones, supporting YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and Audible.

The companion app supports Pixel 7 and newer; Galaxy S, Galaxy S FE, Galaxy Z Fold, Flip, and Fold Ultra series running One UI 9.0 or higher; and iPhone 13 Pro and up.

The takeaway: Google has shipped a credible spec sheet, but the December 10 retail launch — and the tamper-detection claims in particular — is where the promises meet the road.