Competition to give smart glasses widespread relevance renews with fresh tech from Meta and Snap
Tech Giants Race to Develop Smart Glasses
In a significant leap for wearable technology, several tech giants are currently developing smart glasses. Among them are Meta, Google, Snap, Apple, Amazon, and OpenAI.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has already begun shipping its Ray-Ban smart glasses, with over 3.5 million pairs distributed from late 2023 to the second quarter of 2025. At a recent event in Menlo Park, Calif., Meta showcased its latest smart glasses, including the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses, and Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, all paired with a high-tech wristband.
Meta's Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg, demonstrated the capabilities of these smart glasses. They allow for video recording while walking or running, and the ability to write and send text messages using subtle hand gestures when paired with the wristband.
However, the use of smart glasses remains a niche market and may take several years to become more mainstream. This was evidenced by Snapchat's parent company, Snap, who previously developed smart glasses but saw limited success. Chinese tech companies Xiaomi and Huawei also sell smart glasses, but their sales still trail far behind Meta.
Google, too, has dabbled in smart glasses with its Google Glass, but the product faced backlash and was discontinued. IDC anticipates the market for smart glasses without displays will grow to 9.4 million in 2025, up 247.5% from 2024, with most of that growth driven by Meta.
IDC estimates that Meta accounted for approximately 60% of the global market for display-less smart glasses and augmented and virtual reality headsets during the second quarter of 2025. This dominance is due in part to the advancements in artificial intelligence, making it possible for the development of more affordable smart glasses, now in the hundreds of dollars instead of more than $1,000.
Meanwhile, Apple itself is working on its own smart glasses, expected to initially focus on camera and audio functions rather than full AR displays. This is in contrast to Meta, Google, and Samsung, who are also developing smart or AR glasses with varying features and timelines.
OpenAI, the company that makes ChatGPT, is working with Jony Ive, a former Apple executive, to build new AI devices. Snap, too, plans to sell more powerful augmented reality glasses in 2026.
Despite these advancements, tech companies still need to convince people that smart glasses provide enough value to spend hundreds of dollars on. Consumers may need to change their behavior to use smart glasses instead of smartphones. As the market for smart glasses continues to grow and evolve, it will be interesting to see how these devices are integrated into everyday life.
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