Google's eyewear partners can't keep a lid on its smart glasses plans

Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are among the companies partnering with Google on a project to create smart glasses, which could challenge Meta's own smart glasses and revive Google Glass. The Korean eyewear brand announced that its "Intelligent Eyewear" version of Google's Android XR smart glasses will be available for pre-order on November 12.

This launch date coincides with Warby Parker's accidental pre-order announcement, which led people to assume the company would be participating in the project. Both brands, along with Samsung, make up Google's partnership for this endeavor, which aims to compete with Meta's smart glasses and, to some extent, revive Google Glass.

Google has yet to officially confirm either launch date, but the Korean brand has teased a short film directed by Jonathan Glazer, known for films like "Under the Skin" and "The Zone of Interest," starring Joaquin Phoenix, who played a man who falls in love with an AI in "Her." The short film will be released in mid-November, and the actual eyewear collection is expected to launch in December.

These glasses will come with a display-free, audio-first version of Google's operating system, potentially granting users similar access to Gemini. It remains to be seen how this "Intelligent Eyewear" will be received, but Google appears to be hopeful that a desirable brand partnership will help mitigate any potential backlash.