Do People Actually Want Smart Glasses Now?

It's the technology "Google tried (and failed at) more than a decade ago," writes CNN. (And Meta and Amazon have also previously tried releasing glasses with cameras, speakers and voice assistants.) Yet this week Snap announced that "it's building AI-equipped eyewear to be released in 2026." Why the "renewed buzz"? CNN sees two factors: - Smartphones "are no longer exciting enough to entice users to upgrade often." - "A desire to capitalize on AI by building new hardware around it." Advancements in AI could make them far more useful than the first time around. Emerging AI models can process images, video and speech simultaneously, answer complicated requests and respond conversationally... And market research indicates the interest will be there this time. The smart glasses market is estimated to grow from 3.3 million units shipped in 2024 to nearly 13 million by 2026, according to ABI Research. The International Data Corporation projects the market for smart glasses like those made by Meta will grow from 8.8 in 2025 to nearly 14 million in 2026.... Apple is also said to be working on smart glasses to be released next year that would compete directly with Meta's, according to Bloomberg. Amazon's head of devices and services Panos Panay also didn't rule out the possibility of camera-equipped Alexa glasses similar to those offered by Meta in a February CNN interview. "But I think you can imagine, there's going to be a whole slew of AI devices that are coming," he said in February." More than two million Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses have been sold since their launch in 2023, the article points out. But besides privacy concerns, "Perhaps the biggest challenge will be convincing consumers that they need yet another tech device in their life, particularly those who don't need prescription glasses. The products need to be worth wearing on people's faces all day." But still, "Many in the industry believe that the smartphone will eventually be replaced by glasses or something similar to it," says Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager covering wearable devices for market research firm IDC. "It's not going to happen today. It's going to happen many years from now, and all these companies want to make sure that they're not going to miss out on that change." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Jun 15, 2025 - 15:00

Do People Actually Want Smart Glasses Now?

It's the technology "Google tried (and failed at) more than a decade ago," writes CNN. (And Meta and Amazon have also previously tried releasing glasses with cameras, speakers and voice assistants.) Yet this week Snap announced that "it's building AI-equipped eyewear to be released in 2026." Why the "renewed buzz"? CNN sees two factors: - Smartphones "are no longer exciting enough to entice users to upgrade often." - "A desire to capitalize on AI by building new hardware around it." Advancements in AI could make them far more useful than the first time around. Emerging AI models can process images, video and speech simultaneously, answer complicated requests and respond conversationally... And market research indicates the interest will be there this time. The smart glasses market is estimated to grow from 3.3 million units shipped in 2024 to nearly 13 million by 2026, according to ABI Research. The International Data Corporation projects the market for smart glasses like those made by Meta will grow from 8.8 in 2025 to nearly 14 million in 2026.... Apple is also said to be working on smart glasses to be released next year that would compete directly with Meta's, according to Bloomberg. Amazon's head of devices and services Panos Panay also didn't rule out the possibility of camera-equipped Alexa glasses similar to those offered by Meta in a February CNN interview. "But I think you can imagine, there's going to be a whole slew of AI devices that are coming," he said in February." More than two million Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses have been sold since their launch in 2023, the article points out. But besides privacy concerns, "Perhaps the biggest challenge will be convincing consumers that they need yet another tech device in their life, particularly those who don't need prescription glasses. The products need to be worth wearing on people's faces all day." But still, "Many in the industry believe that the smartphone will eventually be replaced by glasses or something similar to it," says Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager covering wearable devices for market research firm IDC. "It's not going to happen today. It's going to happen many years from now, and all these companies want to make sure that they're not going to miss out on that change."