Google launches preorders for Gemini AI glasses with privacy-focused features
Google has opened preorders for its Gemini-powered AI glasses, priced from $395, highlighting face-redaction and data-control measures as it enters the market dominated by Meta.
Google began accepting preorders on November 12 for its first AI glasses that run on the Gemini platform, with frames starting at $395. The company says sales will start on December 10 in the United States and South Korea. Developed in partnership with Samsung, the glasses are offered in nine designs from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster and are compatible with both iPhone and Android devices.
Warby Parker’s three models are priced from $395, while Gentle Monster’s six models start at $449. Google lists a 12-megapixel camera, speakers that leave the ears uncovered, frames that weigh about 41 grams and up to nine hours of battery life; the lenses do not contain a display. Users can activate the device by saying “Hey Gemini” to receive visual information, navigation prompts, music playback or live translation in more than 70 languages. At launch, Guided Vision and Aira support will be limited to Android devices.
In its privacy announcement, Google said the glasses automatically redact bystanders’ faces before the camera images are processed by Gemini, and that those visuals are excluded from Gemini History, model training and advertising targeting. Owners can revoke individual apps’ access to the camera and microphone, and a recording light indicates when the device is capturing video. Google states that covering the light stops recording, and its Play Store policies prohibit social livestreaming through the camera and live facial identification. The setup also restricts recording people without permission or in sensitive locations.
The launch positions Google against Meta, which held an estimated 81.3% share of global AI-glasses shipments in the first half of 2026, according to Omdia. Meta recently introduced a camera-free version of its Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses, citing criticism over covert recording. Google’s approach aims to retain camera functionality while addressing privacy concerns through face redaction and stricter data handling rules. How effectively these safeguards will reassure users and bystanders remains to be seen.