Samsung Unveils AI Glasses Developed With Google and Gentle Monster...Set to Launch in South Korea Next Month

[Financial News] Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is moving to make inroads into the wearable market by unveiling smart glasses equipped with Google's artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini. In collaboration with global eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, it has combined designs suitable for everyday wear with AI features that recognize the surroundings and provide information. In South Korea, it will launch the Gentle Monster collection starting on the 10th of next month.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. said on the 12th (local time) that it had unveiled the full Intelligent Eyewear lineup, developed in collaboration with Google, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, in New York. The lineup comprises 30 models in total: 16 from Gentle Monster and 14 from Warby Parker, including four models introduced at Google I/O in May and Galaxy Unpacked in July.
The key feature of Intelligent Eyewear is real-time interaction powered by Gemini. While wearing the glasses, users can ask questions about objects in front of them or their surroundings and receive spoken answers. They can, for example, get information about an unfamiliar building or translate a restaurant menu written in a foreign language.
The glasses can also be used for work. Users can photograph notes written on a whiteboard during a meeting and ask Gemini to summarize them, then save the result to Samsung Notes on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The glasses also support directions linked to a map app. Users can check important notifications by voice or reply to messages without taking out their smartphones.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has placed the main components inside a glasses frame weighing about 41 g. A 12-megapixel HDR camera on the left side of the frame enables AI to recognize the surroundings. The glasses also support photo and video capture.
The glasses feature two open-ear speakers and four microphones, built into the arms on both sides. They use Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 processor. The glasses adopt a split-computing architecture that shares some processing with Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The battery lasts up to 9 hours on a single charge, or up to 72 hours when used with the charging case.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has also strengthened privacy features in light of the glasses' built-in camera. When photos or videos are taken, an external LED indicator lights up so people nearby can tell whether recording is taking place. If the LED is covered or does not work properly, the camera is disabled. The glasses also support a feature that automatically turns off the camera when they are removed.
During Gemini Live conversations, voices other than the wearer's are blocked, and the faces of people nearby are processed so they cannot be identified on the device. According to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., visual data collected by Gemini is not used to train AI models or for advertising. Use is restricted to people aged 18 and older.
The designs reflect the characteristics of each brand. Gentle Monster offers 16 models across six designs, in a range of colors including black, gray and dark red. Warby Parker is offering 14 models based on three designs. Lenses are also available in options including clear, black and brown.
The official launch date is the 10th of next month. In the United States, the full lineups from both brands will be sold, while in South Korea only the 16-model Gentle Monster collection will launch. Presales will begin on the 12th through each brand's official online channels.
In South Korea, customers can try on and purchase the glasses at Gentle Monster stores nationwide starting on the launch date. They can also try them at Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. stores, including Samsung Gangnam and the Samsung Store Hongdae branch.
[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter