[alex1115alex]

I have a pair - they're not as integrated as you'd think. It's essentially a BLE device that projects text/data sent from your phone, so any data transmission depends on the companion app you use.

Shameless plug: We build an open source OS for glasses that works with them. AugmentOS.org

[stickfigure]

Oh, then you must be familiar with the landscape! Which do you like best, and which companies do you think will still be around in a year?

[alex1115alex]

In terms of all day wearable HUD glasses:

Even Realities G1 are the best HUD glasses on the market right now. They’re the first pair (with prescription) that I can wear all-day without pain, and without looking like a dork.

My team used to main the Vuzix Z100 glasses, starting with the Vuzix Ultralite reference design that predated them. We won’t touch them these days (and recently stopped selling them on our store).

Others… Meizu StarV Air 2 and INMO GO2: both lack public SDK, GO2 is too heavy. Brilliant Labs Frame: cool prototyping toy, awful glasses.

For “AI glasses” that have camera, no display:

You have the RayBan and a number of companies making these. The only one I can recommend is our upcoming Mentra Live (https://mentra.glass). It has the same camera sensor as the RayBan, but runs open source software & has an SDK.

For more sci-fi glasses that run Android and have display + camera, see the INMO Air 3, TCL RayNeo X3. These are too heavy to be worn as regular glasses, but are fun prototyping tools.

All these companies will exist in 2026. As for a 5 year horizon, I’d place my bets on Even Realities, and Vuzix (as a waveguide supplier, not consumer HW). Meizu and TCL will stick around as Chinese megacorps, though I’m 50/50 they will continue developing consumer smart glasses. Brilliant Labs is cooked unless they turn things around with their next pair of glasses.

Google & Android XR: I don’t expect their glasses to be competitive for at least a few HW generations at minimum. In terms of public information, we know they’re monocular and heavy (>45g), which is an immediate killer for the majority of users.