Translator, GPS, camera, projector, manufacturers of connected glasses are multiplying innovations with increasingly discreet models to try to make the difference in a very competitive market.
“We see a lot of connected devices and more and more of them are worn on the face”observes analyst Avi Greengart, from the Techsponential firm, on the sidelines of the CES technology show, where a dozen eyewear manufacturers “intelligent” are present.
Gone are the unsightly protrusions like on the venerable Google Glass, the massive frames and the connecting wire of Epson’s Moverio, two pioneers that appeared in the early 2010s.
THE « smart glasses »all synchronized with a smartphone application, look more and more like ordinary glasses, like the Ray-Ban Meta, the most popular model today.
Beyond Appearance, Market Growth “is driven by advances in augmented reality, artificial intelligence (AI) and technological miniaturization, which are pushing the boundaries of what these devices can do”according to a recent study by MarketsandMarkets.
In this still nascent industry, everything is a matter of positioning, the aspiration to hide technology in increasingly all-purpose models requiring choices to be made regarding the functionalities offered.

Amazon’s Echo Frames connected glasses on display at the CES show on January 7, 2025 in Las Vegas, United States / Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
The Ray-Ban Meta can thus take photos and videos, play music or provide information on objects in the field of vision. But they do not offer augmented reality, that is to say superimposed images. There is no question of this in the medium term, explains Robin Dyer, representative of Meta: “I think when they come to it, it will probably double the price”.
200 dollars
Price is the other nerve of the war in this market that many Chinese players have taken by storm. If, in 2013, Google Glass sold for around $1,500 each, some « smart glasses » are today barely more expensive than ordinary frames.
Many Ray-Bans are close to $250, points out Meta representative James Nickerson. The Ray-Bans Meta “are starting at 300. That’s 50 dollars more. So why not? We’ll have a nice camera with it. »
The Californian start-up Vue has an entry price of $200, for less advanced glasses that allow you to communicate orally with a voice assistant or listen to music.
Other manufacturers have chosen to favor augmented reality (AR), such as XReal, whose glasses project the screen of your smartphone, personal computer or games console.
Technological advances allow us to move away from the helmet look towards that of classic sunglasses, even if they require connecting a cable to the connected device.
Meta aims to launch its version, the Orion, currently in the testing phase but whose marketing is not expected before 2027, at best.
To have « l’air cool »
Even Realities and Halliday have chosen to develop very thin glasses, impossible to differentiate from basic frames, while offering utilitarian augmented reality.

The EssilorLuxottica group stand at CES in Las Vegas, January 7, 2025 / Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
“Our vision was that if we wanted to make smart glasses, above all they had to look cool”describes Carter Hou, number two at Halliday.
THE « smart glasses » from this Singaporean start-up make text appear in the upper corner of the field of vision. Through this, the glasses, which will be available in March at $489, can, thanks to AI, suggest an answer to a question asked by an interlocutor during a discussion, without even having been asked.
Halliday also offers real-time translation, always during a verbal exchange, or a teleprompter for a presenter who can read his notes without the audience suspecting anything.
“We wanted to take a different path” of many competitors, explains Tom Ouyang, of Even Realities, whose product thus presents many similarities with that of Halliday. “No speaker, no camera”he said. “Glasses are made for the eyes, not the ears. »
Generally speaking, for Avi Greengart, what connected glasses “offer is useful, it’s a big step forward for this market”.