Katarzyna Petru
Today, no one is surprised that every device is labeled "smart." Phones, TVs, refrigerators, thermostats, headphones… and now, once again, glasses. The idea is simple: cram a computer, display, camera, and microphones into an everyday object and pretend that it suddenly becomes "more useful." The problem is that it doesn't always come off naturally.
Smartphones and smart TVs have taken off rapidly. But "smart glasses"? That has been a tough nut to crack for years. Most people simply don't wear glasses – some have good vision, and the rest choose contact lenses. So who is the target audience? Glass wearers? Fans of expensive Ray-Bans? Or maybe it's about moving phone functions directly to the face?
On top of that, there's the issue of privacy. Cameras and microphones always on – that sounds like a nightmare for many. Google Glass in 2013 even earned the nickname "glassholes" for users who completely ignored conventions and the privacy of others.
What can Ray-Ban Display Glasses do?
The new Meta and Ray-Ban glasses are quite a specific mix. In the right lens, we have a colorful display of 600 × 600 px, a 20° field of view, and in addition, a 12 MP camera, six microphones, and stereo speakers. This is not full AR, but rather a small screen that appears when you look slightly to the right.
The most interesting addition is the EMG band – the so-called Neural Band. It reads electrical signals from the wrist muscles to recognize hand gestures. In theory, it will even allow you to write in the air – although for now, the feature is in "beta" version.
Comparing it to Google Glass: a stronger processor, more flash memory, faster RAM – but still only 2 GB. Gesture control on the side of the frames is practically the same, and the biggest difference is indeed the wrist band. The catch? Another gadget that needs to be charged. And if you're already wearing a smartwatch, it seems you have to use your other hand.
The Eternal Problem – Who Needs This?
Google Glass, Apple Vision Pro, and the whole rest had one common problem: no one knew what they were really for. Browsing emails or pictures of your cat on a tiny screen? Navigation like “a map in the corner of your eye”? Everything's fine until you have to reach for your phone to make sure you’re actually going in the right direction.
Meta focuses on integration with Meta AI – real-time language recognition, subtitle translations, quick responses. Sounds pretty good, but a regular smartphone does this just as well, with a much larger screen and better UI.
Old Fears, New Glasses
In the background, the issue of the "panopticon" remains – that is, the feeling that you might be watched at any time and everywhere. Smartphones at least clearly show when someone is recording. Smart glasses? Not always. A tiny LED light? Easy to overlook.
No wonder people react nervously. A video of a woman appeared on TikTok, who discovered that the person waxing her in the salon was wearing such glasses. It seems funny, but it's not hard to understand why she felt uncomfortable.
The problem is the same as with Google Glass: how to reconcile "innovation" with the fact that others feel filmed without consent? And what if these are your only corrective glasses – do you have to take them off every time you enter a cinema or a museum?
Dumber "smart" versions
Not all smart glasses need to have a camera. We have, for example, automatically tinted sunglasses or models that function as an additional screen for a laptop. There are also typical AR designs that do not raise such controversies. But it is not these that attract media attention – and they are not the ones labeled as "glassholes".
Dumber "smart" versions
Not all smart glasses have to have a camera. We have, for example, automatically tinted sunglasses or models that act as an additional screen for a laptop. There are also typically AR constructions that do not raise such controversies. But it is not them that attract media attention – and it is not them that carry the label "glassholes."
