Samsung's 1st smart glasses open for pre-orders on November 12
What's the story
Samsung's first-ever pair of smart glasses, dubbed "Intelligent Eyewear," will be available for pre-order starting November 12. The announcement was made by Warby Parker, Samsung's design partner. On the same day, Warby Parker plans to unveil all the styles of these innovative spectacles, including different lenses and colors.
Launch details
Smart glasses to go on sale in December
Warby Parker Co-CEO Dave Gilboa has confirmed that Samsung's smart glasses will officially go on sale in December.
The confirmation comes after a long wait since the glasses were first announced in May and officially unveiled in late July.
The pre-order and launch window may not be groundbreaking news, but it is significant considering the long wind-up period for these innovative spectacles.
Market reception
Changing attitudes toward smart glasses
The entry of Samsung and Google's Intelligent Eyewear into the smart glasses market comes at a time when these devices are both popular and loathed.
Social attitudes toward smart glasses have changed due to celebrity backlash and real-world misuse cases.
This has led to regulatory intervention, particularly in Europe, where a national ban is being considered in Norway and a citywide ban in certain areas has recently been enacted in Hamburg, Germany.
Strategic move
Design and features of Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear
Samsung appears to be responding to the public perception of smart glasses with its new Intelligent Eyewear.
The device has been designed in collaboration with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, two well-known names in the eyewear industry.
It features Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip and is intended to work seamlessly with Galaxy phones, rather than replacing them.