Our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter Team will keep up with the latest developments and forecasts to understand trends occurring in AI and other new technologies. (Get a free issue of your Kiplinger letter or subscription.) All the latest news, subscribe to get everything, but publish many (but not all) of your predictions online in a few days. This is the latest…
Smart glasses are gaining fans quickly. Meta’s Wayfarer AI Glasses has sold approximately 2.6 million units since its launch in 2023. Smart glasses have cameras, microphones, open-ear speakers and other sensors that power your AI voice assistant, giving instructions, sending messages, taking photos and videos, and answering questions.
Meta and other tech companies see the device as a new way to promote AI adoption and build a bridge to augmented reality glasses for the future for years. Get users hooked on smart glasses and upgrade to a more advanced headset someday.
Subscribe to Kiplinger’s personal finances
Be smarter, better informed investors.
Save up to 74%
Sign up for Kiplinger’s free e-newsletter
Remember profits and prosperity with expert advice on investments, taxes, retirements, personal finances and more – directly to email.
Profit and prosperity with the advice of the best experts – directly to your email.
Even Apple wants to take advantage of the early market, according to market research firm IDC. According to a Bloomberg report, the company hopes to launch smart glasses by the second half of 2026, but there is likely to be a delay. Despite Apple’s advanced VR hardware and software, Apple is struggling to find users of high-end vision professional virtual reality headsets. The company may view it as a market that is too good to pass on smart glasses as it will lead to headsets of the future.
Meta’s flashy marketing campaign highlights big bets in the marketplace by top celebrities wearing eyewear. Bloomberg recently reported that the company has plowed another $3.5 billion to eyeglass maker Esilol Cuttottica, owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley, to expand its partnership.
Expect more models and styles in the coming years. Meta’s Ray-Ban Glasses start at $299. There is an additional charge for prescription lenses. The Oakley Sports Edition is water resistant and has improved battery life. Very expensive models that show digital information about lenses could come by the end of the year. However, it’s not easy for most buyers to add more technology without bulking the glass.
Other companies working on new smart glasses include SNAP, Google, Samsung and China’s Xiaomi, which promises strong competition and improved devices for years to come. Don’t be surprised if smart glasses continue to gain traction as everyday consumer devices.
This forecast has been running since 1923 and is a brief weekly forecast for business and economic trends, as well as a brief weekly forecast for what to expect from Washington, first published in Kiplinger Letter, which helps you understand what is happening to make the most of your investment and money. Subscribe to the Kiplinger Letter.
