WRBY Stock Slips Following Smart Glasses Collab With Google, Samsung, But Retail Is Not Impressed

• Glasses will let consumers interact with Google Gemini through voice commands.
• Users will be able to ask for directions, play music, take voice calls, and listen to notification summaries.
• Pricing and detailed specifications are yet to be released.

Warby Parker (WRBY) share price dropped 9% on Tuesday, but recovered after-hours to trade up 0.6% after the company announced a collaboration with Google and Samsung to create smart glasses, rivaling Meta and Ray-Ban. 

The lifestyle brand unveiled eyewear designed for all-day wear that integrates technology from Google and Samsung. The debut style combines Warby Parker’s design approach with Google’s AI capabilities and Samsung’s mobile technology.

"Glasses are the most personal technology we use, and are the very first thing people notice about you," said Dave Gilboa, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Warby Parker. "As we integrate advanced technology into our products, we’re staying true to the principles that define great eyewear: beautiful design, precision optics, and exceptional comfort in frames built for all-day, everyday wear."

The smart glass capabilities include the ability to request directions, stream music, handle voice calls, and hear summaries of incoming notifications. Users can also manage their schedule by adding calendar appointments and utilize Gemini for live translation services. Integrated camera technology allows the device to provide information about objects in the user's field of vision. Additionally, the glasses support photo and video capture via physical buttons or voice control, featuring an LED indicator to notify others when recording is in progress.

“We have to raise the bar and design for privacy from the ground up,” Shahram Izadi, vice president and general manager of Android XR at Google, said in an interview with Bloomberg ahead of the design reveal.

Google and Samsung plan to share more specifics around privacy safeguards over the coming months. Pricing and a specific release date for the glasses haven’t yet been revealed.

WRBY Analyst View 

Stifel kept a ‘Hold’ rating on Warby Parker after the company announced its first intelligent eyewear frame and confirmed a fall 2026 launch. "While firmer details around launch timing this fall are encouraging, we view the release as a non-event," the analyst told investors in a research note. 

BTIG analyst Janine Stichter maintained a ‘Buy’ rating on Warby Parker. Stichter believes investors may be disappointed that details like concrete timing, hardware specs, including battery life and weight, and pricing were not released. 

In addition, investors "are eagerly waiting for the full 'display' model, while only the audio version is set for '26,” Stichter added. 

WRBY Retail View 

One user thought the glasses looked “ugly” and was expecting the collaboration with Apple instead of Google. 

Another user felt that partnering with Google was bad for the firm’s bottom line.

The stock has gained about 45% over the past 12 months.

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