Pixel Watch and Fitbit Air will control Android XR glasses, 9to5Google reports

Google's Android XR glasses may soon take commands from your wrist. 9to5Google reported on Nov. 12 that Google "quietly noted" that both Pixel Watch models and the Fitbit Air will be able to control Android XR glasses. Those are the Intelligent Eyewear frames Samsung built with Google for Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.

Google's own pages don't carry that statement. We read Google's pre-order post, Samsung's December release post and Google's Fitbit announcement, and none of them mentions a watch or band controlling the glasses. Everything about the wearable feature below comes from 9to5Google's report, which cites what Google told that outlet.

What 9to5Google says Google told it

According to 9to5Google, the Pixel Watch will be supported "around launch," and the Fitbit Air will add support "sometime in 2027." Neither timing appears on a Google page we read.

On gestures, 9to5Google says Google's Android XR demo included pausing and playing music with a pinch gesture. The outlet adds that it is unclear which gestures will be supported. It also notes that the Pixel Watch already supports gesture controls that use sensors to detect movements such as finger pinching or wrist adjustments.

The touchpad on the glasses' arms stays. In 9to5Google's words, the watch and band "will be just another avenue" for control.

What Google and Samsung have published

The glasses themselves are confirmed. Google says pre-orders are live online and in stores at Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, and that the glasses will be available in stores and online on Dec. 10. Samsung says the collections are set for release in the US and South Korea on Dec. 10.

Google's own wording for controlling the glasses is to say "Hey Gemini" or tap the frames. Its post names no gesture. Samsung's page lists the controls as "Touch, voice" and doesn't mention gestures either. Neither company has documented the watch control that 9to5Google describes as an extra input.

Prices in Google's post are in US dollars. The Gentle Monster collection starts at $449. Warby Parker's three styles (Alden, Reid and Wren), in optical or sun versions, start at $395. Samsung says the lineup has 30 designs and Gemini built in.

The Fitbit Air costs $99, or $129 for the Special Edition, according to Google's May 2026 post, and every band comes with three months of Google Health Premium. Our Fitbit Air guide covers the band's price, Premium terms and phone support, where Google's own pages disagree.

What it means if you own or plan to buy one

If you have a Pixel Watch and pre-order a pair, the report says watch support comes "around launch," without a date. Google hasn't said whether an update is needed or when it arrives, so don't count on it for day one. Fitbit Air owners are looking at 2027 at the earliest, based on the same report.

The glasses also have requirements regardless of the watch. Google says they are only available for use with Google accounts from the US and South Korea, and need an 18+ Google Account. Google's phone list includes the Pixel 7 series and above on the Android 17 September 2026 update, plus Galaxy S, S FE, Z Fold and Z Flip models on One UI 9.0 or higher. For iPhones, the two companies differ: Google lists iPhone 13 Pro and above, while Samsung lists iPhone 13 and later (minimum 6GB RAM) on iOS 26.6 or later.

Google also says that at launch, Guided Vision, Aira and Audible work only when paired with a compatible Android phone.

Still not confirmed

• Gestures: Google hasn't published which gestures a Pixel Watch or Fitbit Air will send to the glasses. The pinch in the demo is the only one mentioned.
• Models: 9to5Google says "both Pixel Watch models" without naming them, and Google hasn't confirmed which ones get the feature.
• Timing: the Fitbit Air date is only in 9to5Google's report. Google hasn't said whether the update that adds the control reaches phones, watches and glasses on the same day.
• Requirements: no page we read says which Android, Wear OS or Fitbit app versions are needed, or how much watch or band battery the feature would use.
• Countries: neither company has said when the glasses go on sale outside the US and South Korea.

For the launch details, see our coverage of Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear release and the earlier pre-order story.