Samsung's "Intelligent Eyewear" smart glasses get a pre-order date – and you only have to wait one more week until you can book your Android XR pair
The cat is out of the bag for Samsung's smart glasses launch
Samsung has been developing smart glasses, in partnership with Qualcomm and Google, for a number of years. First revealed at Google I/O in May and then again at Galaxy Unpacked in July, we finally have a date for the launch of the Samsung Intelligent Eyewear.
The details don't come from Samsung, but instead have been revealed by partner Warby Parker, who confirmed that they will be available to pre-order from 12 November.
Those details come from Warby Parker's earnings call, via 9to5Google.
Warby Parker continues to use the term "Intelligent Eyewear", which was originally used by Google when they were first showcased at Google I/O. That might also be in response to the backlash against some other smart glasses, colloquially known as "pervert glasses".
Beyond the pre-order date, deliveries are said to be "during the holiday season", with Warby Parker focusing on the US market for the launch. It's thought that Samsung's other partner – Gentle Monster – will offer more choices for Korean markets.
Thanks to an extensive leak, we've seen many of the designs that will be offered, with a range of frame styles and lenses.
That leak also furnished us with more details about the hardware, including Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 hardware, with 2GB RAM and 64GB of storage.
The glasses will run Android XR, with Gemini providing the connected skills, while a 12-megapixel camera will be on most of the models for image capture and to feed into the AI system.
It's thought that the battery should be good for about 72 hours of use (including the case), while IPX4 protection will mean that if you get caught in the rain then it should be fine.
The launch is going to focus on the US and Korea, with the potential to expand availability through 2027.
The new Samsung Intelligent Eyewear will launch at a time when smart glasses are getting a lot of unwelcome attention, with venues banning them and some regions considering legislation to control their use.
