What are smart glasses?

You might think you already know the answer – but these days, it’s actually more complicated than it seems. Some people define smart glasses as any pair of “specs” with built-in technology, like digital displays, computer chips, cameras, and microphones.

Others, like Meta, with their Ray-Ban glasses and Frame AI, advertise smart glasses as specs with built-in artificial intelligence assistants (among other features). Then, we have perhaps the most exciting form of smart glasses available today: augmented reality glasses.

If you’re confused, you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you understand the different types of smart glasses, how they work, and how they’re revolutionizing the world of wearable technology.

What are Smart Glasses? The Basics

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to “What are smart glasses?” On a broad scale, they really are just spectacles that feature technology, but what kind of tech is embedded into these wearable devices will differ depending on who you ask.

If you check out the latest reviews and lists promoting smart glasses on the web today, you’ll likely find a selection of options that fall into specific categories. Here are the main categories you should be able to explore if you’re investing in wearable tech:

• Smart glasses that work as a smartphone accessory
• Smart glasses that enable access to AI assistants
• Smart glasses with a heads-up display
• Smart glasses with virtual screens
• True AR smart glasses

Phone Accessory Glasses

Let’s start with the glasses that some people might not define as smart glasses at all. These are specs like the initial Ray-Ban Stories, which featured a set of cameras, an app you could access on your phone to share photos with friends, and speakers for listening to music. Since the glasses were also connected to your phone, you could take phone calls using them.

Obviously, Ray-Ban and Meta later partnered on a new set of smart glasses that are a lot more advanced, with onboard AI, but the first set of specs were much simpler. Another example might be the early versions of the “Snap Spectacles” – the specs that didn’t include any AR features.

Basically, these specs are just smartphone accessories or tools intended to enhance your experiences with social media apps on the move. They might allow you to take pictures or even answer phone calls, but they’re not going to give you any kind of “immersive” experience.

What are Smart Glasses? AI Specs

Next, we have glasses with integrated artificial intelligence capabilities. In our opinion, including AI is one of the first things that starts to turn “tech specs” into “smart glasses.” Many early-stage AI glasses, like the Amazon Echo Frames, don’t actually have a display built into them. For instance, you won’t be able to view any images overlaid into your real-world environment with AR.

However, you can interact with your glasses using built-in microphones. This means you can speak to an assistant that can load music from your smartphone to play through your speakers, start a call for you, or even search the web for information.

The Ray Ban Meta glasses are the most obvious example of this type of “smart glasses” technology in action. These specs have become extremely popular in the last few years, particularly for tech enthusiasts who want a “fashionable” pair of specs that feel ultra-futuristic. However, the smart experience is still very limited.

Smart Glasses with Heads-Up Displays

Here’s where we start to bring “augmented reality” experiences into smart glasses – at least on a basic level. Although smart glasses with a heads-up display don’t actually “augment” reality, using things like spatial mapping capabilities, they do project images in front of your vision.

Usually, these specs leverage waveguide technology, to reflect information from a connected device, like your phone or your laptop, onto the world in front of you. They’re basically heads-up displays that are intended mostly for enterprise use cases. For instance, you’re probably familiar with options like the Vuzix Shield safety glasses, for industrial and frontline workers.

Glasses like these can help boost productivity and performance in various settings, giving users access to instant hands-free information, such as data about a machine’s performance. However, they lack the advanced spatial capabilities of modern XR solutions and generally don’t give you much control over your display settings.

Smart Glasses with Virtual Screens

Smart glasses with virtual screens might seem similar to specs with heads-up displays, but they’re a little different. While the options with heads-up displays are usually intended for enterprise use cases, smart glasses with virtual screens are more focused on the consumer market.

Products like the Rokid Max give users access to huge, configurable virtual screens that are perfect for watching videos or playing games. They also feature slightly more advanced technology, such as prisms, to redirect the light that comes from the top of the glasses instead of waveguides.

Although this makes the glasses’ frames a little thicker, it does mean you end up with a more “immersive” experience, closer to genuine augmented reality. However, it’s worth noting that these specs generally don’t include their own computer chips. They usually rely on a companion system to run applications, such as your phone or something like the XReal Beam or Rokid Station.

On the plus side, this means you usually end up with a more lightweight wearable device than an MR/AR headset or virtual reality headset.

On the other hand, they’re quite limited in what they can do. Although they are suitable for entertainment and productivity (particularly since you can access laptop screens and work apps in your glasses, you don’t get a full spatial experience. Plus, these glasses can be quite expensive, ranging from $399 and up for certain models.

True AR Glasses

Now we come to potentially the most impressive option for anyone interested in “smart glasses” – augmented reality specs. These glasses often still give you access to various features you’ll find in simpler specs, such as cameras and integrated microphones, speakers, and even AI assistants.

However, they go beyond simply providing an information overlay or a virtual screen. They also frequently include their own processing chips and computing systems, so they’re not entirely reliant on a connected device like a smartphone or laptop.

A common example here is the XReal Air 2 Ultra specs, released this year. These come with a Snapdragon processor and proprietary computing unit built-in. They also support hand tracking and head-tracking, spatial anchors, and depth sensors.

The main difference between these glasses and smart glasses with virtual displays is that you can use them to actually interact with content. You don’t need to use an app on your smartphone to swipe through or resize screens; you can use your hands and fingers instead.

Companies like Meta are even beginning to take the concept of “true AR glasses” to the next level, with the introduction of prototypes like Meta Orion. The Meta Orion glasses even feature a custom eye-tracking system, so you can navigate through content with your eyes. Plus, developers get an EMG wristband that can track finger and hand movements with exceptional precision.

Perhaps more importantly, Meta’s glasses promise to offer a truly “wireless” experience. Combining a simple puck system with the specs so you can move freely while experiencing true AR.

What About AR/MR Goggles?

There is one other potential type of device that could fit into our answer to the question “What are smart glasses?” depending on your perspective. Augmented and mixed reality goggles, like the Magic Leap 2, offer a similar experience to some of the smart glasses with HUDS and virtual screens we mentioned above.

However, these options are a lot clunkier than regular glasses, and most that only include AR and mixed reality capabilities have grown a little outdated over the years. The chances are, if you’re looking for a “headset” that offers augmented reality capabilities, you’ll end up navigating towards options like the Meta Quest 3, with built-in mixed reality, or the Apple Vision Pro.

However, neither of these options are really “smart glasses” in their own right. They simply offer a different avenue for experimenting with extended reality in a “wearable” format.

What are Smart Glasses Used For?

Now that we’ve covered all of the different types of smart glasses users have to explore these days, you might be wondering what their actual purpose is. Again, this is a tricky question to answer, because the “use cases” for smart glasses generally depend on the type of glasses you choose.

Smart glasses that generally act as accessories for smartphones are really just a novelty for most users or a valuable tool for content creators who want to snap and share social media posts on the move. Smart specs with built-in AI technology and heads-up displays could be great for both enterprise users and consumers, giving them instant access to information and guidance wherever they are.

More advanced smart glasses with virtual displays are great for productivity and entertainment, while advanced AR glasses deliver an ultra-immersive experience – an alternative to virtual reality.

In all of their forms, these glasses can potentially boost productivity and performance in various industries and environments. They appear everywhere from on manufacturing floors to in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Some developers have even begun experimenting with specific types of smart glasses that leverage technology to improve accessibility for those with disabilities.

For instance, there are glasses that can enhance your vision and make it easier to read small text or glasses that can convert written information into spoken language with AI assistant support.

The Future of Smart Glasses: Looking Ahead

As you can see, answering “What are smart glasses?” is a little more complicated nowadays than it might appear. Although all types of smart glasses feature some technology, they target many different use cases and needs.

Choosing the right smart glasses depends on what you’re looking for. Do you want a pair of glasses that give you access to an onboard camera, microphone, set of speakers, and a built-in AI assistant? Or are you looking for something that genuinely transforms the world around you with augmented reality?

As the wearable device and extended reality landscape evolve, we’ll undoubtedly see new definitions for “smart glasses” emerge. Meta’s Orion project is evidence that AR glasses, in particular, are likely to become more impressive in the years ahead.

For now, if you’re looking for insights into some of the top innovators in the smart glasses market and are interested specifically in AR, check out our list of the top smart glasses vendors.