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In this article, you can find a complete overview of all smart glasses in 2023 that are currently out or will be released. It’s important to know the smart glass options so you can tailor your use case and get the right pair for your needs.
Here is an overview all smart glasses
Apple is the market leader within multiple consumer and enterprise technology markets. The company is known for its closed-ecosystem products and refinement of innovative technologies. The adage of ‘what Apple does, industries dissolves, follows, and transforms’ is correct and is why a smart glass from Apple is so pivotal to popularizing the market of consumer assisted reality.
Little is known about Apple’s first smart glasses. However, given that Apple’s mixed reality headset codenamed N301 hasn’t been announced or released, we are likely not going to see Apple Glass until 2024.
The same rumors also speculate the cost of Apple Glass will be around €500 without subscription fees.
Lastly, the smart glasses will be tethered either wired or wirelessly to the user’s iPhone, and run its own operating system called “rOS” – the “r” stand for reality.
Bosch is a German multinational company that was founded in 1886. They mainly focus on 4 things: mobility, consumer goods, industrial technology, and energy/construction technology. During the annual technology fair CES in 2020, Bosch announced that they are working on smart glasses.
Little is known about the Bosch Smartglass. However, the target group would probably be prosumers. Most smart glasses use a screen or reflect an image onto the lens of the glasses to show the user information. Not Bosch smart glass, the prototype of the Bosch Smartglass uses ‘Light Drive’. A technology that uses a small micro-electromechanical mirror array to focus a trio of lasers on a transparent mirror, which then reflects the light into the user’s eye and paints an image directly on the user’s retina.
This innovation is not yet used by any other smart glass or optics manufacturer, instead, the waveguide lens is what most smart glasses use. Bosch’s Light Drive technology means optical transparency with little light sensitivity, ensuring the vision is always crystal clear and pesky internal reflections are no longer a problem. This way it’s easier on the eyes to see properly and reduce strain.
Epson is a Japanese electronics company founded in 1942. In 2011, Epson unveiled its first smart glass, the Moverio BT-100. Since then, Epson currently has seven different smart glasses catering to the business market.
Epson MOVERIO BT-40S came on the market in February 2021 for €1,100 and is intended for commercial applications. The binocular all-in-one smart glass has a Moverio Intelligent controller. According to Epson, these glasses are a versatile display solution that gives visitors an immersive experience.
Epson MOVERIO BT-40 is available for €779 and is intended to serve as a second monitor. The binocular smart glass is intended for business users on the go to create a second display for privacy. The glasses can be connected to compatible smartphones, tablets, and computers via USB-C.
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Epson MOVERIO BT-35E launched in 2018 for €669 and is mainly used by healthcare and engineering, plus piloting commercial drones. The binocular smart glass is interacted with using a controller. The glasses are typically used to show images from an external camera to the user.
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The Epson MOVERIO BT-300 came out in 2017 for €680. The glasses are specially designed for DJI drone drivers, but can also be connected to other devices through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Miracast. Because the separate controller contains a large battery, the AR glasses can be used for 6 hours.
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MOVERIO BT-350 was released in 2017 for €1.260. The glasses are designed for commercial use and cultural and entertainment venues. The glasses are controlled with the Quint Controller, which makes it easy for museums, for example, to have the glasses used by many visitors.
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The MOVERIO PRO BT-2000 came out in 2016 for €2.500. The AR glass is intended for remote expertise, and due to its sturdy design and IP54 certification, it can be used under difficult industrial conditions. The glasses can be controlled with the included controller or voice control.
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The MOVERIO PRO BT-2200 came in 2019 and is currently for sale for €2.000. The difference from its predecessor, the BT-2000, is that it has hot-swappable batteries, giving it a prolonged run time. The AR glasses also have Epson IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) with which the glasses can accurately detect the movement of employees.
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Teaming with EssilorLuxottica, Meta launched their first smart glass for consumers in 2020 called Rayban Stories, priced at $299. Stories smart glass has a distinct social angle to its assisted reality features packed in a noticeable Rayban wayfarer design. It is positioned as an extension and wearable to one’s smartphone. The smart glass enables you to listen to music and capture moments through video and pictures.
Google released its first monocular smart glass in 2013 in a closed pilot run, leading to its launch to consumers in 2014. The glasses were taken off the market in 2015 amid criticism and concerns centered around privacy laws. In 2017, Google made its comeback to the market with the Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2.
Google Glass came on the market in 2014 for €1.250 and was mainly used by business customers, despite it being intended for prosumers. The monocular glasses have a small screen for notifications and simple information. Applications such as Google Maps and Gmail could be used directly with Google Glass.
At the time, the headset was used in various industries:
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Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 arrived on the market in 2017 for €1.439. The main difference compared to the first version is that Enterprise Edition 2 has better specifications. This version can also be placed on different shaped frames.
The headset is used in these industries:
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The Belgian company IRISTICK develops and manufactures smart glasses for the industry market.
The IRISTICK.H1 was released in 2021 for €2.459.
With the zoom lens on one side, the display on the other, and the 16MrealwearP dual camera in the middle, the Iristick H1 is one of the most balanced smart glasses on the market. The display can be interchanged between the right and left eye providing comfort for all.
Further, the Iristick H1 has been made for the industrial setting as it is PPE compatible, IP 67 certified, and drop proof. The Iristick can be used both with voice commands and with a touchpad and voice controls; however, when working in a loud environment, it is advisable to use the touchpad.
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Meta was founded in 2004 and, since 2018, has been working on its first portable AR glasses with its own operating system.
Meta is likely to focus on consumers as its social media platforms can be integrated into the software of the glasses to support its other business models.
Lastly, Meta aims to build an embodied internet called the metaverse through augmented and virtual reality, coinciding with its AR roadmap and R&D prototypes.
Project Aria is an AR glass prototype that Meta uses for:
To realize these two goals, the prototype has several sensors that record information and send it to a server. The collected data will be used to train AR sensing systems, which will allow AR glasses to understand the world around them, and to provide the user with useful information.
Still a rumored smart glass, Hypernova is slated to release in 2024 and is intended to be used without a smartphone. Hypernova will feature the lightweight microLED display with waveguide optics enabling a slim form factor.
RealWear, Inc. is an American company founded in 2015. They have produced two smart glasses, although they call their products head-mounted wearable Android-class tablet computers. RealWear mainly focuses on industrial and construction companies, where the smartglasses are used in various remote and harsh conditions for frontline workers.
RealWear HMT-1 came on the market in 2020 for €1.877 and is mainly used by the industrial sector, playing a pivotal part in the fourth industrial revolution. The glasses have a monocular display and can only be controlled via voice control, which also works in loud workplaces. Due to its rugged design, safety certifications, and hands-free control capabilities, the headset is ideal for remote expertise for employees working in harsh and remote environments.
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RealWear HMT-1Z1 is a monocular smart glass available for €4.500 and is used by the industrial sector by frontline personnel. In addition to an IP66 certificate, the HMT-1Z1 also has an ATEX Zone 1 and CSA C1/D1 certificate, making the headset suitable in potentially explosive areas. Furthermore, the 1Z1 has a larger battery than the HMT-1, making it significantly heavier.
This model is used, for example, for:
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RealWear Navigator 500 came out in December of 2021 at €1.999 excl VAT, offering a rugged monocular smart glass for industrial and remote workers. The headset features noise cancellation of up to 100db, equivalent to the noise level of a construction site. And impressively, the voice control still works during such noise conditions and has a long 8 hours of battery in a lightweight and comfortable form factor.
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Snap Inc is an American company. They have produced 2 smart glasses, the devices are fully focussed on enhancing its social sharing platform Snapchat.
Released in 2019 and currently retails for $380, Snap Spectacles, like Rayban Stories, is geared towards consumers and social media through augmented reality. The smart glass has a bold round design proudly displaying its two HD cameras capable of capturing 3D images and video.
Announced in 2021, Snap Spectacles 4 has a muted, angular, and futuristic design, very different from its predecessor’s round and bold aesthetic. It has built-in speakers for navigation and a touchpad on the frame for interaction. It weighs 134 grams and has 30 minutes of screen-on time on a full charge from its 480 x 564 per eye resolution, 26.3° FoV diagonal display. There is no word yet on the price.
Toshiba is a Japanese multinational founded in 1875, producing and selling multiple products in several market categories. Since 2018, Toshiba had a smart glass intended for the business customer.
The DynaEdge AR100 was released in 2018 for the business market for €1.230. The glasses are intended for:
The glasses come with the DynaEdge DE-100, which is the brain and controller of the headset. In addition, the glasses can also be controlled with buttons or voice control. The Windows 10 operating system is intuitive to use by employees.
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Vuzix is an American company that was founded in 1997. In 2000 they released the VFX1 headset, which could play stereoscopic 3D 360° videos. Like RealWear, Vuzix focuses on companies where employees work in harsh conditions.
Vuzix teamed up with the US military for its tactical gear. They currently have three products on the market.
Vuzix M4000 came out in 2020 for €2.325 and is mainly used in manufacturing, field service, and warehouse logistics. The headset has a transparent head-up display. It can be controlled with buttons, a touchpad, and speech. In addition, the glasses have an IP67 certification, making them drop, water, and dust resistant.
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Vuzix M400 came on the market in 2019 for €1.705 and is mainly used by business customers. The difference with the M4000 is that the M400 does not have a transparent head-up display, but does have the same functionality as its more expensive brother.
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Vuzix Blade Upgraded arrived in 2020 for $800 and is mainly used by warehouse workers within logistics, for example. The glasses have a monocular transparent display, on which concise information and notifications can be shown.
The camera can record full HD and the glasses can be controlled via a touchpad and voice control. Additionally, Blade Upgraded has an ANSI Z87.1 certification, making it ideal for remote expertise where safety glasses are mandatory. It is certified for cleanroom use as well. The Vuzix Blade Upgraded must be connected to a smartphone to use the smart features of the glasses.
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Announced at CES 2022 and released in Q2-2022 for $1,199, Vuzix M400-C is positioned as an affordable version of Vuzix’s popular M-series. It is a tethered water-proof smart glass with a crisp OLED display, voice control, buttons, and a touchpad on the smart glass frame.
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Scheduled to release in Q4-2022, Vuzix Shield is the upcoming smart glass that will surely turn heads. Rumored to have a price of around $1,999, coming with a feature set of certification for hazard safety (ANSI Z87.1), noise cancellation, and a display delivering 92% RGB accuracy with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 in a 30-degree diagonal FoV.
VR Expert can advise you on this matter and support you in your hardware decision. Please contact us at info@vr-expert.com and arrange a consultation appointment with one of our experts.
Jakob Pii is the Head Writer at VR Expert and currently lives in the UK. He started his career in VR gaming in 2015 and has stayed in XR since, from exposure therapy in VR to 360-degree video documentaries. He is fascinated by how emerging technologies change how we live, play and work.
