Google X coined the term “glass explorers” when it released its Google Glass prototype in 2013, allowing wearers to communicate with the internet using voice commands. Since then, the smart glasses sector has become conspicuous for its rate of invention and iteration. What has emerged is a plethora of devices, proving it’s not only the technology that matters, it’s how you interpret it.

Today’s smart glasses feature augmented reality displays, voice assistant-equipped headphones and live-streaming cameras, allowing users to answer phone calls, listen to music, reply to messages and enable a voice assistant. These days, the question isn’t “What can smart glasses do?” as much as “What can’t they do?”

Within the smart glasses market, several key themes have emerged: While technological innovation is occurring at breakneck speed, adoption hasn’t kept pace; there is a need to work on device practicality and improved user experience; fashion aesthetics play an important role; and Rx-ability is crucial.

 
 An Eyedaptic customer sporting EYE6 smart glasses.
In 2023, The Vision Council released a new report delving into consumer awareness, interest and sentiment toward smart eyewear products. The report, titled Focused inSights Smart Eyewear 2023, found that more than a third of Americans intended to purchase tech eyewear within the year, with men aged 18-44, those in urban communities and early adopters of technology especially likely to purchase.

Most American adults are aware of smart eyewear, which the report defined as “connected eyewear that offers wireless connectivity and many ‘smart’ features right in the frames, such as the ability to answer calls, listen to music, reply to messages and use a voice assistant,” but the depth of awareness is low. Although most adults (56 percent) said they had heard of smart eyewear, just about one-in-ten (9 percent) knew exactly what it was.

A lack of general “buzz” may be contributing to a shallow understanding of smart eyewear products, according to the report. Although wearable technology is becoming more accessible and affordable to consumers, only approximately one-in-four (23 percent) adults said they had seen, read or heard about smart eyewear products in 2023, and half (52 percent) said they had heard nothing at all about these products.


EssilorLuxottica’s Ray-Ban Meta allows users to capture images and video, make calls, listen to music and podcasts and more.
 
  
“Our research in 2023 showed that smart eyewear products are gaining interest among consumers, with one in three adults in the U.S. saying they would consider purchasing smart eyewear within the next year,” said Alysse Henkel, VP of research and inSights at The Vision Council. “They told us that the appeal lies in the perceived utility, enjoyment and innovative features of these products. However, for those not considering a purchase, the primary reason is a lack of perceived need. Manufacturers may want to focus on clearly communicating the practical benefits of smart eyewear to potential users.”

The current selection of smart glasses includes assistive devices for vision- and hearing-impaired individuals and the manufacture of eyewear components such as wave guides with practical applications ranging from everyday leisure activities to the workplace.  

Some industry observers limit their definition of the smart glasses market to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) products. However, consumers typically overlook those distinctions when shopping for smart glasses, and many manufacturers embrace the term for the technological sophistication it infers. For the purposes of this article, audio-enabled glasses will be considered smart glasses.

For this feature, VM talked to a variety of players in the smart glasses market, both big and small. Select snapshots of various consumer smart glasses can be found throughout this article.

   
  This story originally appeared in the September print edition of Vision Monday. To read the full story, click here.