Introduction to Smart Glasses
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a daring claim on the social media giant’s earnings call in July. People without smart glasses may at some point be at a "significant cognitive drawback" in comparison with those that do use the tech, he told analysts. This vision for the corporate’s future could come into focus through the Meta Connect conference, where the tech giant outlines its next steps and pronounces recent products.
The Rise of Smart Glasses
Reports suggest Meta will announce a brand new pair of AI-powered smart glasses to follow its relatively successful Ray-Ban spectacles, which might analyze a wearer’s environment and answer questions on their surroundings. The smart glasses have been a shiny spot in Meta’s largely lackluster attempts to bet early on disruptive technologies. Meta’s glasses look like catching on with consumers; Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica said in July that revenue from its Meta glasses greater than tripled year-over-year. And market research indicates Meta is the leading smart glasses brand by far.
The Technology Behind Smart Glasses
Smart glasses aren’t prone to develop into as ubiquitous as smartphones anytime soon. But they might allow Meta to succeed in consumers directly, potentially reducing reliance on smartphones. That might be critical as Meta seeks to develop "personal superintelligence" — a vague term Zuckerberg has used to explain AI that "knows us deeply, understands our goals, and will help us achieve them." The pressure is on as a wave of tech giants including Samsung, Google, and Meta’s longtime social media rival Snap prepare to launch recent smart glasses. Amazon can be developing recent glasses with augmented reality, a technology that places computer graphics over real-world surroundings.
The Future of Smart Glasses
Meta and Ray-Ban partnered on a pair of glasses in 2021 called the Ray-Ban Stories that were primarily designed for capturing photos and videos hands-free. But Meta was removed from the primary to explore using glasses for tasks like snapping photos, making calls, and listening to music without reaching in your phone. Snap and Amazon, along with a wave of smaller tech firms, have all released smart glasses for these purposes. Google was an early entrant in 2013 with Google Glass, although that device was unpopular with consumers due to its high price, retro look, limited functionality, and short battery life.
Challenges and Opportunities
The current Ray-Ban Meta glasses don’t display anything on the lenses, meaning wearers depend on audio feedback or Meta’s phone app. That could put them at an obstacle compared to approaching glasses like those from Google, which have a display for showing information together with providing verbal answers. "That’s going to be one other challenge," said Guillaume Chansin, an analyst with market research firm Counterpoint Research. "Like if you must replace a smartphone, can you actually do this without having some form of visual feedback?" The success of Apple’s AirPods and other wireless earbuds could strengthen the case for smart glasses.
The Market for Smart Glasses
The marketplace for smart glasses appears to be growing fast, with ABI Research predicting the market will ship 13 million units in 2026, up from 3.3 million in 2024. However, they’re still a distinct segment product, with tons of of thousands and thousands of smartphones shipped in a single quarter alone. There’s little indication that smart glasses will ever be nearly as widely adopted. Reality Labs, the division of Meta accountable for the corporate’s AI glasses and Quest virtual reality headsets, saw a $4.5 billion operating loss in the corporate’s fiscal second quarter of 2025. By comparison, Meta’s apps generated $583 million in revenue.
Conclusion
So what’s really in it for Meta? While smart glasses will not be a revenue driver immediately, they might potentially set the stage for a future during which Meta is less reliant on hardware makers like Apple and Google to distribute its apps. Meta has previously butted heads with Apple over policies related to the iPhone maker’s App Store, and Zuckerberg has previously criticized the iPhone maker’s App Store dominance. If glasses develop into the first way people video chat and browse social media feeds, selling its own eyewear could give Meta more control over the experience. As the tech industry continues to evolve, it is going to be interesting to see how smart glasses fit into the larger picture.
