At Google I/O 2026, Google and Samsung officially pulled back the curtain on their new AI-powered smart glasses. Developed in partnership with eyewear icons Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, these frames aren’t trying to reinvent your vision with flashy, sci-fi overlays. Instead, they are meant to quietly handle the micro-interactions your phone constantly interrupts you for.
Here is everything we know about what’s dropping later this year.
Built to replace quick phone moments
These glasses are designed as a companion device, meaning they rely on your phone for processing while giving you hands-free access to everyday features.
They don’t compete with your phone’s power or apps. Instead, they extend it. The heavy processing still happens on users’ phones, while the glasses act as a lightweight layer that lets them interact with Google’s Gemini AI through voice and audio.
Using voice commands powered by Gemini, users can get navigation directions while walking, hear summarized notifications, translate conversations in real time, translate text from menus or signs, and add reminders or events instantly.
Imagine you’re walking, talking, commuting, or moving through your day, and instead of reaching into your pocket, you ask a question, get directions, hear a notification, or translate a conversation in real time.
The design strategy
One of the most notable design choices here is what’s missing. There’s no built-in screen in these glasses. Instead, everything runs through sound. The glasses use microphones, speakers, and cameras to interpret context and respond through Gemini.
Also, as opposed to a single pair of glasses, Google and Samsung are releasing two. Warby Parker brings a familiar, everyday look while Gentle Monster pushes in the opposite direction, offering more expressive, fashion-forward frames.
This split allows the companies to target both mainstream users and more style-driven buyers.
Gemini is doing the real work here
Underneath everything, this is a Gemini product. The glasses exist as a new interface for Google’s AI, which is trained to understand context, anticipate needs, and respond in real time.
Because the system is connected to your phone and apps, it can do things like surface relevant suggestions during your day, translate conversations as they happen, or summarize incoming messages without requiring you to stop what you’re doing.
The more context Gemini has, the more useful the glasses become. That is the real engine behind the experience.
When are they coming?
Google and Samsung say the first models will go on sale later this year in select markets.
Pricing and full specs are still to come. Until then, you can think of all the ways you can use the glasses as a practical extension of your phone.
Sources: Engadget, Samsung Newsroom