It’s been a bad year for AI wearable devices.
Just a few months ago, the tech world was convinced that AI hardware would be the next big thing. It was inspiring visions backed by futuristic demos and sleek hardware. At the center of the conversation were the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1. Both promised big things, but neither lived up to expectations.
In the gadget world, this is an old story. Smart glasses and augmented reality headsets went through a similar hype cycle a decade ago. Google Glass infamously promised a future where useful information was overlaid on reality. Since then, Magic Leap, Focals By North, Microsoft’s HoloLens, Apple’s Vision Pro, and most recently the new Snapchat Spectacles have tried to keep that vision alive, but without commercial success.
So, all things considered, it’s a bit ironic that the best attempt at a practical AI wearable is a pair of smart glasses, specifically the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
The interesting thing about Meta smart glasses is that no one expected them to be as successful as they are. Part of the reason is that their first model, Ray-Ban Stories, was a huge flop. Part of the reason is that these smart glasses didn’t propose any new ideas. Bose already made stylish audio sunglasses, but then shut down the whole business. Snap Spectacles had already tried recording short videos for social media, but that too clearly fell short. On paper, there was no compelling reason why Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses would resonate with people.
And yet Meta has succeeded where other AI wearables and smart glasses have failed — and, remarkably, far beyond Meta’s own expectations.
Ultimately, it’s mostly because Meta has finally perfected the style and execution. Meta’s glasses come in a wider variety of styles and colors than Stories, so you’re sure to find something that suits you. In this regard, Meta was smart enough to understand that the average person doesn’t want to look like they stepped out of a sci-fi movie; they want to look cool by modern standards.
At $299, it’s pricey, but still affordable compared to the $3,500 Vision Pro and $699 Humane Pin. Sound quality is good. With a well-placed microphone on the nosepiece, call quality is surprisingly good. Unlike previous Spectacles with Stories and Snap, the video and photo quality is good enough to post to Instagram without embarrassment, especially in an era when content creators are taking advantage of POV-style Instagram Reels and TikToks.
It’s a device that can easily be integrated into people’s lives today, without waiting for future software updates. It’s not a solution looking for a problem to solve. And this, more than anything, is why Ray-Ban has a good chance of cracking AI.
That’s because AI is already built in. AI is just a feature, but it’s not everything. You can use AI to identify objects you come across or learn more about landmarks. You can also ask Meta AI to write sketchy captions for your Instagram posts or translate menus for you. Video call your friends so they can see what you’re looking at. All of these use cases fit the device and how you use it.
In practice, these features are a bit wonky and unrefined — the Meta AI still can’t write me good Instagram captions, and it often can’t hear me in noisy environments — but unlike the Rabbit R1, they work. Unlike the Humane, they don’t overheat, and because they use your phone for processing, they don’t lag. And the key is that, unlike those devices, even when the AI fails, it still does other things very well.
That’s fine for now. The pressure is on. Meta’s hope is that as people get used to simpler smart glasses, they’ll become more comfortable with facial recognition computers once AI, and eventually AR, take off.
They’ve proven the first part of the equation. But for the latter to happen, the AI can’t just be so-so or usable; it has to be really good. It has to make the leap from “Oh, this is useful and it works well” to “I’m going to wear these smart glasses all day because they make my life so much easier.” Right now, many of the AI features in Meta glasses are impressive, but they’re essentially party tricks.
It’s a tall order, but Meta seems most likely to succeed among the companies currently on the market. Style and wearability aren’t the issue; the company just signed a deal with EssilorLuxxotica to extend its smartglasses partnership beyond 2030. Now that the overall blueprint for the hardware is in place, iterative improvements like better battery performance and lighter weight are feasible. It remains to be seen whether Meta can deliver on the rest.
It’ll have a chance to prove itself at next week’s Meta Connect event. The timing couldn’t be better: Humane’s daily returns exceed its sales. Critics have called Rabbit a fraud. Experts aren’t even sure Apple’s iPhone 16-powered AI-inspired “supercycle” will materialize. A win here would not only solidify Meta’s lead, it would keep the dream of AI hardware alive.
