Once relegated to the realm of science fiction, often confined to fleeting appearances in Marvel movies. Since 2013, this market has undergone a radical transformation, opening up to the general public and gradually integrating ever more advanced features. Devices once perceived as futuristic gadgets are now transforming into essential smart accessories capable of revolutionizing our daily lives. Ray-Ban Stories, Huawei Eyewear, Jins Meme, and the anticipated releases from major companies like Apple and Meta embody this spectacular shift.
The diversification of players, from the giant Meta with its Ray-Ban Meta to innovative startups offering bold designs, testifies to the vitality and creativity driving this sector. The circle is widening with the arrival of models with heads-up displays (HUDs), augmented reality (AR) glasses, and screenless smart glasses, which appeal to a diverse audience with differentiated approaches. By 2025, the smart glasses market has expanded dramatically, offering a range of options ranging from simple connected audio companions to assistants capable of integrating artificial intelligence into everyday interactions.
At the heart of this revolution, artificial intelligence plays a central role, transforming these accessories into true digital companions capable of processing natural language, offering instant translations, and providing simplified access to digital services. This dynamic trend is pushing technical boundaries ever further, highlighting a future where wearing glasses will no longer be a simple visual necessity, but an immersive and interactive experience fully integrated into the connected world.
The Rise of Screenless Smart Glasses: Simplicity and Intelligence at the Heart of the Revolution
The first screenless smart glasses ushered in a new era of discreet and practical devices. Back in 2013, the startup Vergence Labs launched Epiphany Eyewear, models that were admittedly rudimentary but pioneered the attempt to integrate connectivity into glasses. These frames featured a built-in camera, an innovation that quickly gained traction, culminating in their acquisition by Snap and the birth of the famous Spectacles. This type of device, focused less on computing power than on image capture or simple communication, laid the foundations for a category that is still growing.
The concept naturally expanded with Amazon and its Echo Frames, which were released in 2020. Designed to offer a seamless voice experience with Alexa, they emphasized on-board audio, integrating speakers and microphones without the need for a camera. This orientation illustrates the functional diversity of the segment, where ease of use is combined with advanced contextual intelligence. Today, these glasses function not only as personal assistants, but also as discreet interfaces allowing you to control technology without taking out a smartphone.
Meta has brought a new dimension by integrating multimodal artificial intelligence into its Ray-Ban Meta, starting in 2023. This development marks a turning point in the history of screenless glasses, making these accessories truly intelligent companions capable of natural conversations, contextual interactions, and access to cloud services. This shift has spurred a surge of innovation in the sector, pitting manufacturers with diverse profiles against each other, from China’s Xiaomi, which is rolling out its Xiaomi Smart Glasses targeting the local market, to more radical initiatives such as the Solos AirGo V2, which offers a complete integrated AI package with ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.
Alongside this excitement, other players such as HTC, with its Vive Eagle, or Mentra, which is banking on open source to attract developers, are asserting their positions. The emergence of low-cost options combined with the integration of advanced AI systems is complicating the landscape but also reflects the growing maturity of the market. Even in less conventional areas, companies such as Jio in India are participating in this dynamic with their own smart glasses, JioFrames, revealing a globalization of the phenomenon and widespread adoption.
HUD glasses: when heads-up displays become part of our connected lives
Alongside the proliferation of screenless glasses, head-up displays (HUDs) are gaining popularity thanks to their ability to display information directly in the user’s field of vision. The principle is simple yet powerful: thanks to a mini-screen, the user can continuously view essential data such as notifications, real-time translations, or directions without having to look away.
The North Focals, released in 2019, were among the first to make this technology accessible to the general public. Their initial success convinced giants such as Google, despite the project’s recent cancellation following the startup’s acquisition. Emerging players have taken up the torch. Even Realities, with its G1, offers monochrome binocular glasses capable of displaying subtitles, while the Singaporean company Brilliant Labs is already on its third generation with a Halo model that combines lightness, color, and an open-source design. XRAI, meanwhile, makes HUD glasses that specialize in instant translation, transforming a conversation into projected text—a monumental advancement for real-time multilingualism. Inmo, a pioneer in the sector, is back in the spotlight with the Go 2 and Air 3, heavier binocular glasses that offer a clear, color field of vision that is particularly aimed at demanding professionals.
Amazon isn’t limiting itself to simple audio glasses; it’s also preparing its HUD models, designed for both consumer use and professionals such as delivery drivers, highlighting operational efficiency combined with optimized ergonomics. The development of HUD glasses illustrates a constant quest for seamless integration of technology into our natural environment, facilitating frictionless access to information throughout our activities.
The Challenge of AR Augmented Reality Glasses: Transforming Dreams into a Common Reality
For years, the promise of augmented reality (AR) glasses has fascinated audiences. However, integrating virtual images into the real world, enriching our perception in real time, and offering a fully immersive experience remains a significant technical and economic challenge. Although several prototypes have emerged, the Western public is still slow to see a truly mature and accessible model. China is currently one of the most dynamic testing grounds with products like RayNeo’s X3 Pro which, despite a still limited field of vision, demonstrate a desire to intensify miniaturization and image quality. Snap, a pioneer in camera glasses with its first Spectacles, is preparing to launch its new AR glasses in 2026. These glasses promise to be lighter, autonomous and above all more affordable than previous generations, thanks to better optimization of the technology and a significant increase in onboard computing power.
The path to full adoption also requires addressing crucial challenges: extended comfort, energy autonomy, data privacy, and social integration. RocKid Air, for example, is positioned in an innovative hybrid segment, combining AR and cutting-edge audio technologies, with sleek designs suited to everyday use. For its part, Google Glass is still trying to regain ground by modernizing its approach, particularly for professional uses, which constitute a market more willing to invest in these advanced technologies.
AR glasses are gradually moving closer to their original ideal: to merge virtual and real in an intuitive and natural way, without degrading the user experience. However, widespread adoption still requires overcoming several barriers, particularly in terms of price and technical robustness, but recent advances point to an extremely promising future for this category. At the same time, synergies with artificial intelligence will further facilitate contextual interactivity. Major Brands and the Proliferation of Innovation in Smart Glasses
While the smart glasses market is experiencing unprecedented diversification, the big names in tech are engaged in a fierce battle. Ray-Ban Stories, the iconic collaboration between EssilorLuxottica and Meta, continues to make a lasting impression. In 2025, the collection saw its sales triple, driven in particular by the integration of advanced artificial intelligence and designs inspired by classic eyewear, thus attracting a wide audience eager to combine fashion and technology.
Huawei Eyewear is also making a name for itself with its Gentle Monster X Huawei models, the result of a privileged partnership that blends high-end aesthetics with advanced technological features. These glasses stand out for their sound quality and smart interfaces, helping to raise the bar in this segment.
At the same time, specialized manufacturers such as Jins Meme, with its innovative biometric sensors, Vuzix, with glasses primarily aimed at professionals, and Bose Frames, focused on immersive sound, are expanding its offerings and segmentation. Xiaomi Smart Glasses, for its part, is confirming its ability to combine artificial intelligence and sleek design in its models, now very popular in Asia.
Companies such as Rokid Air are leveraging the deep integration of augmented reality and advanced audio interfaces, creating versatile devices that are enjoying growing success. This global boom reveals a sector that combines technical innovations with responses to diverse user expectations. The ecosystem of applications and services, supported by these technologies, is evolving in parallel, offering ever richer and more personalized uses.
