it was 2024 Big year for spatial computing ends with the release of two major virtual reality headsets: powerful but expensive apple vision pro more affordable meta quest 3sWhile these tools provide their users with vast, Strange Digital realms, they can also feel limiting, as they reduce – or even break – the wearer's connection to the real world.
That's where their lighter, more wearable cousins come in: smart glasses. Turns out, many people prefer a device you can take out of the house and onto the road. There's the incredible convenience of being able to digitally interact with the real world at the same time you're actually looking at it, all without obscuring your view with a bulky headset or distracting you with a phone screen.
These more accessible face computers have come a long way from those days glass holeSmart glasses—which I'll define here as Internet-connected eyeglasses with apps built-in—have crossed the divide from the era of mindless, unattractive wearables like Google Glass to actually useful devices that can be You won't even feel ashamed. in public.
ray-ban meta Smart glasses are the big dog in the pack. metaA company whose reputation has often been tarnished by its own people problematic Uncoolness has managed to take advantage of the Ray-Ban brand's long-established cool factor to create a line of smart glasses that people really love. They look good and have real functionality that many people can easily understand supporters Incredibly useful finds. They can take photos and videos, act as headsets for music and calls, and use voice features powered by Meta AI to send texts or ask about anything in the world. new features added this month Give the glasses the ability to do things like remember where you parked your car and use Shazam to find out what song is playing near you. This all happens without a built-in display, meaning you can keep your eyes on real life.
The success of the Ray-Ban Meta Frames shows that there's a market for display-free smart eyewear that doesn't just work like a VR-lite. Small companies and startups are moving forward with all kinds of smart lenses. This year alone, we've seen new smart glasses, or the technology that powers them, from companies like oppo glasses, tasteAnd mtechSome were a little goofy and disappointing, like Splendid Labs Frames Released in May. Others have yet to be realized, such as glasses by the company Looktec Which works with various chatbots and is billed as Potential Meta Ray-Ban Killer After the project recently exceeded its funding target (so far) kick,
However, display-powered AR glasses are still in trend. Ultimately, a device that gives the wearer an active heads-up display or provides a window into mirrorworld It has long been considered the brass ring of spatial computing. Meta is pursuing this goal orion glasses-A pair of ambitious AR technologies still deep in the development process that aim to do everything your smartphone can do, but in your face. snap There is also a player here with Cyberpunky Glasses With apps that focus on social interaction for their younger, more playful users.
through the glass
Another augmented reality leviathan has recently awakened. In early December, Google announced the launch of android xr The software platform, which includes an upcoming pair of smart glasses with displays in the lenses. Google's efforts are similarly in progress, but the company has the advantage due to its sheer number of developer partners who are already building on Android's multiple platforms. Google's Glasses run Android apps, essentially taking a lot of the stuff that currently lives on a smartphone — maps, texting, news feeds — and putting it right in front of your eyes.
“They're probably the closest we've come to larger, tier one competitors that can do something to compete with Meta,” says Anshel Saag, principal analyst at Moore Insights & Strategy. “The Meta doesn't have any displays yet. So they can even beat Meta in shipping along with displays.”