The first smart glasses running Google’s Android XR will open for pre-order on 12 November. Warby Parker, one of the frame designers, gave the date, and says orders will be delivered during the holiday season.
It came out in a quarterly earnings release rather than at a launch event. Co-founder and co-CEO Dave Gilboa said the company would start taking pre-orders for its first “Intelligent Eyewear” collection one week after 5 November. No price was given, and the release does not say which countries get the glasses first.
The hardware is made by Samsung with Qualcomm chips, according to 9to5Google’s report, which adds that these are audio-only glasses with a camera and no display in the lens. You control them by voice or with a touchpad on the arm. Warby Parker and Gentle Monster handle the design, and each has shown two frame styles so far.
Gentle Monster lists its own Intelligent Eyewear page, but has not said whether its frames go on sale on the same day. Warby Parker has already opened in-store demo bookings on its site.
The date fits with what was reported on 31 October, when Samsung’s glasses were said to be arriving in mid-December. Warby Parker has not said whether “holiday season” means late November or December.
The glasses have cameras and give quick access to Google’s Gemini assistant. A bigger question is the price: the one Android XR device sold so far, Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, is a much larger product aimed at mixed reality, so it is a poor guide. Pricing should appear when pre-orders open on 12 November.
