Halliday launches camera-free smart glasses at $599 with subscription tiers from free to $99/month, positioning audio-only wearables as a privacy-conscious alternative to camera-equipped competitors.
Meta is introducing a paid tier for advanced AI features on Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses, signaling a shift toward recurring revenue in consumer hardware.
Snap debuts premium smart glasses with runway-ready design but faces the enduring challenge of making statement-piece tech wearable for everyday consumers.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite delivers 60% GPU and up to 160% NPU gains, enabling lighter, longer-lasting AR glasses with embedded AI.
Meta tested facial recognition software from Rank One Computing, a defense contractor, in its Ray-Ban smart glasses app before removing the dormant system.
Meta removed embedded facial-recognition components from its Meta AI app following WIRED's investigation, but questions about the NameTag system's scope and intent remain unanswered.
Google announced AI-powered audio glasses at I/O 2026, built with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, designed to integrate with Android, iOS, and Gemini.
Google unveiled AI-powered audio glasses co-developed with Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and Samsung, launching later in 2026.
After a year testing dozens of AI-powered eyewear products, The Verge finds the category's main appeal is discretion — and that's not enough to sustain a market.