Back in 2013, Google Glass promised us a world where everyone would go for coffee, scrolling through Instagram right on the glass in front of their eyes, and a personal AI companion would whisper advice about life and shopping. The presentations looked like trailers for cyberpunk: stylish people on electric scooters with smart glasses who seem to know everything. But instead of a revolution, we got memes about "Glassholes" (a slang term for Google Glass users), scandals over hidden cameras, and the failure of a product that even Google was embarrassed to move into the corporate segment.
Today, more than a decade later, the smart glasses market seems to be coming to life again. Meta has collaborated with Ray-Ban, Apple with semi-legendary AR glasses that are rumoured to be in development. Samsung, along with Google, Xiaomi, and even startups, promise "this time it will work". However, for most people outside Silicon Valley, these gadgets remain strange toys for geeks and entrepreneurs.
Why haven't we seen a massive "boom" like smartphones or TWS headphones? The reasons go deeper than technical issues. It's a mixture of technological compromises, social fears, and the lack of that "killer app" that makes people change their habits.
Technology has helped
Illustrative image. Illustration: DALL-E
Despite the loud promises of marketers, the reality of wearable gadgets still resembles a beta version of the future. The main problem is the technical trilemma: compactness, power and autonomy at the same time.
Manufacturers are trying to cram cameras, displays, processors, and batteries into a 5mm-thick frame that should last at least a working day, not half an hour.
So far, it's been... so-so.
The battery is the first stopper. Even in the best models today, it provides 2-3 hours of active work with AR effects or 6-8 hours in "passive" mode (music, notifications). This is too little time for glasses to become a full-fledged replacement for a smartphone.
Performance is the second stumbling block. Yes, modern chips (Snapdragon AR, Apple M-series) are already able to process complex AI tasks and AR animations. However, they do it with heat dissipation, which causes the case to heat up so that not everyone wants to hold the gadget on their face.
And even the displays that promised to be a breakthrough don't help. Waveguide optics and MicroLEDs are the technologies of the future, but so far they are either too expensive or do not provide enough brightness on the street.
Go Deeper:
Waveguide optics is a technology that allows you to display an image on the glass of your glasses so that you can see the real world and superimposed information at the same time. A small display hidden in the temple "launches" light into the light-conducting layer of the lens, where it is repeatedly reflected at controlled angles and creates a projection effect right in front of your eyes. This makes AR glasses slim and stylish, but there are also drawbacks: the image is often not bright enough for a sunny day, distortions occur at the edges of the lens, and the production itself remains expensive, which raises the final price of the device.
On paper, it sounds cool: "glasses that show you your route, notifications, and the hourly weather forecast right in your field of vision." In reality, there is a big compromise between a beautiful concept and something that actually works.
People are not ready to wear cameras on their faces
Illustrative image. Illustration: DALL-E
While we can still hope for breakthroughs in technology, the public perception is much more complicated. In 2013, Google Glass became a symbol not so much of innovation as of paranoia - users were called "Glassholes", kicked out of bars and even beaten for suspicion of covert filming. Even today, when Meta's Ray-Ban eyewear AI will get object recognition and translation features with cameras, many people feel uncomfortable: is that guy drinking coffee at the next table recording me? The issue of privacy remains the main barrier to the mass adoption of smart glasses. Changing people's attitudes requires more than just hiding the camera or making the recording indicator brighter - it will take years of work on trust, ethics, and the social "normalisation" of wearables. And even then, there are no guarantees that the new generation of gadgets will not follow the fate of their predecessors.
Where is the benefit? No killer app
Illustrative image. Illustration: DALL-E
Even if the technology becomes perfect, the main question remains: why do ordinary people need it? Modern smart glasses can show notifications, give directions, or take photos, but these things are already available and work in smartphones.
There is no "killer app" - an app that will make everyone say: "I don't need my phone anymore, I want glasses."
The corporate sphere is different: Microsoft's HoloLens 2, Vuzix, Magic Leap - there is benefit there when glasses save time or improve accuracy in manufacturing or medicine. However, Microsoft has also abandoned its own hardware business: in October 2024, HoloLens 2 was discontinued, and support will end by the end of 2027. Even IVAS patients, the military version of HoloLens, are now supported by Anduril rather than Microsoft.
Thus, even for a promising business market where glasses were supposed to become a tool of the future, production is being shut down, and experienced users are already preparing to untie themselves from smart glasses. This is a clear signal that a hardware breakthrough is not enough. Without a truly useful, mass application, AR will remain an interesting but niche technology.
The price of the issue
Illustrative image. Illustration: DALL-E
Even if the technology was already perfect and the killer app was found, there is still a gap between smart glasses and the mass market: price. Today, full-fledged AR glasses cost $1500-2500, and in some cases even more. For most people, this is the price of a new flagship smartphone and a little more on top - despite the fact that they carry the smartphone in their pocket, and the glasses remain an "experimental" gadget. Even simpler models, such as audio glasses from Ray-Ban Meta or Xiaomi, cannot be called cheap: $300-400 for glasses that are essentially headphones with a camera. And this is at a time when most users already have headphones and a smartphone with better cameras and displays. Mass production and price reductions are possible, but unlikely to happen until 3-5 years from now, when the technology matures and the market becomes more competitive. Until then, smart glasses will remain a product for enthusiasts and corporate customers.
Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
Illustrative image. Illustration: DALL-E
Despite all the technical and social barriers, the big players in the market are not backing down - and that's what keeps the smart glasses trend alive. Apple, Meta, Samsung, Xiaomi, and dozens of startups continue to invest billions in the development of new models, relying on several key technological breakthroughs. Firstly, MicroLED displays and waveguide optics promise lighter and thinner designs with much better brightness. Secondly, AI assistants that can work directly on the device without delays or cloud computing - this scenario can make glasses look like "always on" gadgets. And, of course, there is still hope for a breakthrough in batteries: solid-state batteries or other solutions that will allow them to work for hours rather than minutes.
The market is now reminiscent of the early years of smartphones: many experiments, failed attempts, and gradual progress that few people notice until the "iPhone effect". But the key question is whether this effect will ever happen. Will someone become the new Apple in the world of smart glasses, or will the entire industry be stuck at the level of a niche B2B product?
Counter-arguments: why the market may stumble again
Illustrative image. Illustration: DALL-E
AI is expensive and energy-intensive
Fact: On-device AI (i.e., when glasses count themselves instead of uploading everything to the cloud) requires powerful chips. This means more heat, more battery consumption, and a more expensive device.
Thedownside: even the best modern chips like Snapdragon AR1 or Apple M-series are a compromise. The power has to be limited so as not to turn the glasses into a soldering iron on the bridge of the nose. So far, this is either a "smart audio gadget" or a very limited AR.
Test batteries are no guarantee of a breakthrough
Fact: Solid-state and lithium-sulfur batteries do indeed show great results in laboratories - twice the capacity and a safer profile.
Thedownside: There's a gap between lab tests and mass production. Dozens of startups promised such batteries "in 2 years" back in 2018, but even in 2025, smartphones and cars are still powered by good old Li-ion. There is a chance of a breakthrough for glasses, but it is not a guarantee.
Social acceptance is the biggest barrier
Fact: Today, at best, a few million people in the world wear Ray-Ban Meta or Chinese audio glasses. This is a microscopic percentage of the 8 billion population.
Disadvantage: Mass acceptance is not just about making glasses look good. It's years of marketing, explaining why it's okay to wear them. Even TWS headphones took almost a decade to become the norm.
Investment ≠ success
Fact: Big players have already poured tens of billions into AR/VR (Meta spent $50+ billion on Reality Labs - so what?).
Disadvantage: A lot of money does not guarantee that a product will take off. If consumers don't see the point, they won't buy it, even if you fill the market with gold. Examples include Google Glass, Magic Leap, and even HoloLens outside of B2B.
To sum up: do we need smart glasses at all?
The smart glasses market is currently at a crossroads between another failure and a long-awaited breakthrough. Technology is getting smaller and smarter, but not yet to the point where it merges into our daily lives as naturally as smartphones or TWS headphones. Social barriers, the lack of real use for most consumers, and the high price keep them in the status of "gadgets for geeks" or corporate tools.
However, it is too early to completely dismiss the prospects. If manufacturers find a killer app, make the design as unobtrusive as possible, and make the batteries and displays truly convenient, smart glasses could move beyond niche and become the new "norm" by 2030. In this case, they will not replace smartphones, but will become their extension - devices for quick interactions with the digital world without the need to pull the phone out of your pocket.
However, there is an alternative scenario in which AR glasses remain an expensive accessory for businesses, the military, and hype startups. The reality, as always, is somewhere in the middle - the next 5 years will decide whether the market will turn into another gold mine or follow Google Glass into a museum of techno-illusions.
For those who want to know more
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- "They're coming": how humanoid robots are storming factories, warehouses and our hearts
- What slows down autopilot cars
- G-SHOCK and XG - how Casio changed its course from "survival watches" to neon style for the TikTok generation
- From failed rice cooker to PlayStation triumph: the story of Akio Morita
He joined the gg team in 2011. Henri is a man of varied interests and writes about gadgets and military equipment. He has a good understanding of consumer electronics and a lot of experience with a variety of gamer hardware.
