Google Just Announced the Release Date of Its First “smart Glasses” – Smart Glasses.
Today at the Google I/O 2026 conference, Google announced the release of its first smart glasses—”Intelligent Glasses”—this fall. The glasses are a joint product between Samsung and Google, with Samsung providing the hardware and Google providing the software. They will be available for Android and iOS. Pricing has not yet been announced.
This is what Google’s first “Intelligent Eyewear” glasses look like.
The company introduced two frame options: one from Gentle Monster and one from Warby Parker . Here’s what they look like:
While Google hinted at a future release of glasses with a display, the presentation primarily focused on the audio, camera, and AI capabilities of these glasses, which will launch this fall. Google focused on the integration of smart glasses and Gemini AI, demonstrating their ability to provide turn-by-turn directions via audio, launch and use third-party apps like DoorDash using voice commands, and take and edit photos using AI. Android can then take these edited photos and display them on your Google Watch, as you can see in this AI-powered “selfie in a crowd” example shown during the presentation:
Below are more details on the glasses’ specifications from Google’s blog :
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Ask Gemini about everything you see : Google gives examples like asking for reviews of a restaurant you pass by and identifying cloud types.
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Navigation : In addition to turn-by-turn directions, smart glasses can add stops to your route.
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Messages and Calls : These glasses allow you to manage calls and text messages, and also allow Gemini to provide a summary of missed messages.
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Translation : The glasses support real-time language translation, providing “sound that matches the speaker’s tone and pitch” as well as text translation.
How do Intelligence Eyewear glasses compare to Meta smart glasses?
This fall, Google and Samsung will compete with industry leader Meta, whose smartglasses account for approximately 80% of the market , a formidable challenge. While we don’t yet have important information, such as the quality of the Intelligent Eyewear camera or their price, Google’s smartglasses and Meta’s AI-powered camera models are generally similar: both take photos, allow AI-powered conversations, and play and stream audio. Barring an incredibly high-quality camera or a very low price, the choice between Google and Meta will likely depend on feature integration and consumer preference.
One of the main goals of major tech companies producing smart glasses is to engage users with their information infrastructure, so Google’s presentation focused both on interaction with other apps and with the device itself. Google promises the use of popular apps like Google Maps, Gemini AI features like Nano Banana, and Google Watch, but also demonstrated connectivity with third-party apps like Doordash, Uber, and the language app Mondly. Currently, Meta glasses can access Meta-owned apps like Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as a limited number of third-party apps—primarily music apps like Spotify, Audible, Apple Music, and iHeartRadio. Ultimately, the decision to buy smart glasses may depend on which apps you most need to keep your phone out of your pocket.
The main question is: which of them will look less ridiculous?
In terms of style, Meta has so far focused on iconic, recognizable brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley for its smartglasses frames, while Google seems to be leaning toward a more fashionable approach. Gentle Monster is known for its bold, statement-making frames, like the slim glasses unveiled at I/O 2026, while Warby Parker takes a minimalist yet tasteful approach to eyewear. Unlike most tech products, appearance is extremely important for smartglasses. An Oakley owner is unlikely to start wearing Gentle Monster frames just because they have a better camera.