AIWiki
Malaysia
Back to all articles
Tools & Platformssmart glasseswearablesmeta

Smart Glasses

3 min readUpdated September 2026
Smart Glasses
Type
Wearable AI device
First consumer wave
Google Glass (2013), Snap Spectacles (2016)
Current leaders
Ray-Ban Meta, Meta Ray-Ban Display, Oakley Meta
Market position
Meta about 94% of AI glasses shipments (H1 2026)
Platforms
Meta AI, Google Gemini (Android XR)
Related
Meta AI, Multimodal AI, Edge AI
Smart glasses are wearable computers integrated into eyeglass frames, typically pairing a camera, open-ear speakers and microphones with an AI assistant. After an unsuccessful first wave led by Google Glass in 2013, the category found consumer traction with camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta glasses launched in 2023, then expanded in 2025 and 2026 with display models, cheaper camera lines and new competitors.

Background

Google Glass (2013) introduced the concept to the public and then retreated amid privacy backlash and limited utility. Snap's Spectacles (2016) tested camera glasses aimed at social sharing. The modern wave began with Ray-Ban Stories in 2021 and accelerated with Ray-Ban Meta in 2023, which added Meta AI, live streaming and improved cameras while keeping a conventional sunglass form factor.

Products and Platforms

Meta's lineup now spans three tiers: camera-and-audio glasses sold under Ray-Ban and Oakley brands; lower-cost models starting at about US$249; and display glasses. Meta Ray-Ban Display, unveiled in September 2025 at US$799, adds a full-colour in-lens display and ships with a neural wristband that reads muscle signals for gesture control, with sales expanding beyond the United States through 2026.[1][2]

Competition is forming around Google, whose Android XR platform debuted smart glasses at its 2026 developer conference in partnership with Samsung and eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, integrating the Gemini assistant.[3] Huawei launched AI glasses built on its own processor in April 2026, and analysts expect Apple to enter, framing the next phase as a contest among Meta, the Android XR ecosystem and Apple.[3]

Market

Shipments of AI glasses grew 263% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research, with Meta holding about 94% of the market and Xiaomi and Alibaba each near 1%. Display-less models made up 96% of shipments, while the much smaller display segment grew roughly 450%; North America accounted for half of display-less shipments, while China led for display models.[4]

Privacy and Social Issues

Camera-equipped glasses have drawn sustained criticism from privacy advocates, focused on bystanders who may not know they are being recorded, the risk of covert face recognition, and how user footage is stored and processed.[3][4] Manufacturers have responded with recording indicator lights and on-device processing features, while civil-society groups argue that consent norms for wearable cameras remain unsettled. The backlash has accompanied rapid sales growth rather than slowing it.[4]

>See Also

🇲🇾Malaysian Context

Malaysia has become an active market for the camera-and-audio generation through authorised distributors and specialist retailers, with Ray-Ban Meta models advertised from around RM1,699 to RM3,599 depending on model and lens configuration.[5][6] The display model has not been among Meta's official launch markets, which have centred on the United States, Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, so Malaysian buyers of that tier rely on imports.[1]

The devices fit Malaysian use patterns — real-time translation across the country's multilingual environment, hands-free navigation and live captioning for accessibility — but they also raise local data-protection questions. Recording in public spaces engages obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act, and the growing use of always-on cameras has revived debate about consent in public places.

References

  1. ↑Meta. (2025). Meta Ray-Ban Display: AI Glasses With an EMG Wristband. https://about.fb.com/news/2025/09/meta-ray-ban-display-ai-glasses-emg-wristband/
  2. ↑Meta Store. Shop Meta Glasses: AI Glasses Starting at $249. https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/meta-glasses/
  3. ↑Counterpoint Research. (2026). Will Google's AI Glasses Prove Meta-morphic for the Market? https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/will-google-ai-glasses-prove-meta-morphic-for-the-market
  4. ↑9to5Google. (2026). As Android XR nears, smart glasses are only getting more popular despite Meta backlash. https://9to5google.com/2026/09/22/smart-glasses-growth-h1-2026/
  5. ↑Liang VR Distribution. Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 1). https://liangvr.easy.co/products/ray-ban-meta-wayfarer-smart-glasses-with-meta-ai-assistant-
  6. ↑AI Home Malaysia. Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer — Smart Glasses with Camera and Audio. https://aihome.com.my/product/ray-ban-meta-wayfarer-matte-black-clear-to-graphite-green-transitions-lens/
Back to all articles