Samsung has opened pre-orders for its AI smart glasses, with sales beginning on 10th December 2026. Developed with Google and eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, the collections put a camera and Google’s Gemini assistant into frames you can order with prescription lenses.
Warby Parker’s collection starts at USD 395 or about KES 51,000. Gentle Monster’s models cost USD 449 or about KES 58,000 to USD 489 or about KES 64,000.
Both collections launch in the US, while Gentle Monster also launches in South Korea. Kenya isn’t included, and there is an account restriction worth understanding before importing: Samsung requires both Samsung and Google accounts to be set to a country where the glasses are officially sold for activation.
The glasses themselves were already on show when we covered Samsung’s July Unpacked event. The announcement on 12th November adds prices, pre-orders and a firm sale date to that earlier preview.
Gemini can see through the camera, but there is no screen
These are audio glasses. Samsung confirms that there is no display in the lenses, so Google Maps directions arrive through the speakers. You won’t see a route floating over the street. Google had already separated audio glasses from its planned display glasses when it previewed the project in May.
The camera gives Gemini visual information to answer questions about whatever you’re looking at. You can ask about an unfamiliar object, then continue with follow-up questions without holding your phone towards it. Google also promises speech translation across more than 70 languages, with automatic language detection, alongside spoken navigation and messaging.
Samsung’s productivity example is more specific than automatic meeting notes: capture a whiteboard, ask Gemini to summarise its contents and save the result in Samsung Notes. That workflow may require compatible Samsung devices and services; it shouldn’t be read as a promise that every feature works identically on an iPhone.
There is still a phone involved. The glasses connect over Bluetooth, and Samsung says some processing is passed to the connected handset. The benefit is being able to ask a question or hear directions while leaving that phone in your pocket.
Camera, battery life and phone support
The camera records 12MP HDR photos and up to 3K video at 30 frames per second. HDR, which helps preserve detail in bright and dark areas, is limited to 2K for video. Two open-ear speakers and four microphones handle audio and voice input. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 processor sits alongside 2GB of memory and 64GB of storage.
Samsung’s roughly 41-gram weight is model-dependent and excludes prescription lenses. Likewise, the advertised 30 designs include colour, lens and size variations across six Gentle Monster frame styles and three Warby Parker styles. Buyers are choosing between eyewear collections with the same hardware and software specifications.
Warby Parker rates battery life at up to nine hours, with seven further full charges from the case. That explains Samsung’s 72-hour total: eight nine-hour charges, including the initial charge. It doesn’t mean three days of continuous wear without returning the glasses to their case, and actual endurance depends on use.
Privacy controls include an outward recording light and safeguards designed to prevent photo or video capture if that light is covered. Google says camera visuals sent to Gemini aren’t saved in Gemini History or used for training or advertising. Requested photos and videos still go into your gallery, while text conversations have separate history controls.
Supported phones include selected Galaxy models running Samsung’s One UI 9.0 phone software or later, and Pixel 7 or newer running at least the September 2026 Android 17 update. The official pages disagree on the minimum iPhone: Google’s launch post says iPhone 13 Pro and above, while retailer specifications describe iPhone 13 or later with at least 6GB of RAM. Buyers should confirm their exact model’s eligibility. Translation and navigation also vary by language, region and network conditions.
Samsung hasn’t specified a guaranteed software-support period in its launch announcement. Activation also requires an eligible adult account, with the glasses intended for users aged 18 and over.
For Kenyan buyers, the account rules complicate an overseas purchase. Samsung allows already-activated glasses to be used abroad, with possible feature limits, but Kenyan-country accounts cannot activate them under its published rules. The converted US price leaves that practical problem unresolved for anyone planning to order a pair for use here.
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