Flashpoint:
I think AR/AI (non-AR) smart glasses will reach a flashpoint like smart watches did — that for only a little bit more money than the non-smart version, you get a smart version that can theoretically do more. This thinking can be flipped around as well; the non-smart version suddenly looks like much worse value per dollar. Smart watches had a tougher sell overall, since watches were sort of obsolete at the time.
Smart Glasses that can see/display/hear/talk are likely to be $200-$500 on top of prescription lens cost (if needed) depending on feature set. Companies in this space will likely be smart about it and ensure their lens/ear hooks are transferable to next gens, like watch bands currently are. This is a form of lock-in by preying on sunk-cost fallacy. The flashpoint for smart glasses will probably be the same; they don't have to be amazing, they just have to be better value than the non-smart version, or make the non-smart version look like terrible value. I think this explains the soft success of Meta's Raybans and ilk.
I'm not personally interested in non-AR AI glasses (is there a term for this yet?), but again, if it's only a bit more money than regular glasses I might be tempted.
Creep Factor:
A big obvious complaint and issue with smart glasses is the spy-camera vibe from the outward facing cameras. I'm expecting/hoping Apple tackles this problem by using switchable glass (changes opacity via electricity). This technology has matured quite a bit, apparently there's a metallic version now that toggles between clear/mirror. Either way, there's no moving parts and it uses a pulse to switch state, so it's not too power hungry. With a thin switchable glass layer behind the camera's external sapphire layer:
Apple Glasses — AI or AR?
Based on rumors and the minor success of these AI (non-AR) glasses, I think Apple is forced to respond to it with their own version. It could use the Vision branding albeit inverted; the device see things rather than you see things.
Since Apple has been pressured to go big on AI anyways, I could see Apple shipping AI glasses before shipping AR glasses. They've already comitted to making Siri useful via speech/text, so it's not too much of a detour to drop AR to ship faster/cheaper. A big feel-bad would be that the lens for AI-glasses would likely not be AR-compatible, so you'd have to buy potentially expensive lens a second time for the AR version. I do not think Apple would sell clip-ons for regular glasses to add the camera/AI stuff; just not their style.
I think AR/AI (non-AR) smart glasses will reach a flashpoint like smart watches did — that for only a little bit more money than the non-smart version, you get a smart version that can theoretically do more. This thinking can be flipped around as well; the non-smart version suddenly looks like much worse value per dollar. Smart watches had a tougher sell overall, since watches were sort of obsolete at the time.
Smart Glasses that can see/display/hear/talk are likely to be $200-$500 on top of prescription lens cost (if needed) depending on feature set. Companies in this space will likely be smart about it and ensure their lens/ear hooks are transferable to next gens, like watch bands currently are. This is a form of lock-in by preying on sunk-cost fallacy. The flashpoint for smart glasses will probably be the same; they don't have to be amazing, they just have to be better value than the non-smart version, or make the non-smart version look like terrible value. I think this explains the soft success of Meta's Raybans and ilk.
I'm not personally interested in non-AR AI glasses (is there a term for this yet?), but again, if it's only a bit more money than regular glasses I might be tempted.
Creep Factor:
A big obvious complaint and issue with smart glasses is the spy-camera vibe from the outward facing cameras. I'm expecting/hoping Apple tackles this problem by using switchable glass (changes opacity via electricity). This technology has matured quite a bit, apparently there's a metallic version now that toggles between clear/mirror. Either way, there's no moving parts and it uses a pulse to switch state, so it's not too power hungry. With a thin switchable glass layer behind the camera's external sapphire layer:
- The camera would be incapable of receiving light in the closed/opaque state
- Externally the camera region would visually toggle between black (open) and white/mirror/some color, strongly signaling a state change to other people.
Apple Glasses — AI or AR?
Based on rumors and the minor success of these AI (non-AR) glasses, I think Apple is forced to respond to it with their own version. It could use the Vision branding albeit inverted; the device see things rather than you see things.
Since Apple has been pressured to go big on AI anyways, I could see Apple shipping AI glasses before shipping AR glasses. They've already comitted to making Siri useful via speech/text, so it's not too much of a detour to drop AR to ship faster/cheaper. A big feel-bad would be that the lens for AI-glasses would likely not be AR-compatible, so you'd have to buy potentially expensive lens a second time for the AR version. I do not think Apple would sell clip-ons for regular glasses to add the camera/AI stuff; just not their style.