The Evolution of AI Glasses: From 2023 to 2026

　　The development history of AI glasses is an evolutionary process from technical prototype exploration to AI large model empowerment, and from B-end pilots to consumer-level explosion. Core milestones revolve around breakthroughs in display, chip, and AI technologies, scenario implementation, and ecological improvement. Since 2023, it has entered an explosion period characterized by "AI + lightweight + independent terminal".

　　I. Early Exploration: Technological Foundation and Concept Verification (1960s - 2011)

　　1968: Ivan Sutherland developed the "Sword of Damocles" head-mounted display, which for the first time realized the superposition of virtual information and real vision, laying the basic framework for AR technology.

　　1980s: Steve Mann from the University of Toronto developed the i-Tap smart glasses prototype and later launched EyeTab, which achieved miniaturization and network connectivity, earning him the title of "Father of Wearable Computing".

　　2003: Vuzix launched the world's first commercial display smart glasses, initiating the exploration of device commercialization.

　　2004 - 2005: Philips released smart glasses equipped with a camera and Wi-Fi, attempting to penetrate the consumer market.

　　Before 2011: Intel and Microsoft promoted projects such as Project Skylight, exploring functions like auxiliary computing and physiological monitoring.

　　II. Commercial Experimentation: Highs and Setbacks (2012 - 2022)

　　2012: Google released Google Glass, integrating a camera, voice control, and a transparent display. It was named one of the Best Inventions of the Year by Time magazine. However, its high price of 1,500 US dollars, privacy controversies, and vague application scenarios led to the discontinuation of the consumer version in 2015, with a shift to the B-end market.

　　2016: Microsoft launched HoloLens, entering B-end scenarios such as industry and medical care with spatial computing technology, establishing a benchmark for professional AR glasses.

　　2017 - 2022: A period of technological and ecological adjustment. Waveguide, cloud-edge collaborative AI, and SLAM algorithms gradually matured, and devices became more lightweight. Huawei, Xiaomi, and other brands launched smart audio glasses, while Facebook (the predecessor of Meta) laid out AR/VR technologies, accumulating momentum for the subsequent explosion.

　　2021: Meta (formerly Facebook) collaborated with EssilorLuxottica to launch Ray-Ban Stories, focusing on photography and social interaction, pioneering the "fashion + intelligence" integration route.

　　III. AI-Enabled Explosion: Consumer Popularization and Independent Terminals (2023 - Present)

　　2023: The on-device deployment of AI large models drove the industry explosion. Ray-Ban Meta (the upgraded version of the former Stories) became a phenomenal product, with cumulative sales reaching 2.24 million units in 2024, accounting for 60% of the global market share. Domestic brands such as Rayneo and Rokid accelerated product iterations.

　　2024 - Early 2026

　　Technological Breakthroughs: Mass production of Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 chips; binocular full-color Micro OLED screens with a brightness of 6,000 nits; eSIM independent communication enabling terminalization (e.g., Rayneo X3 Pro).

　　Product Differentiation: Manufacturers simultaneously layout 299 US dollar-level AI camera glasses and 799 US dollar-level AI + AR display glasses to adapt to different scenarios and price points.

　　Ecological Expansion: Landing in vertical scenarios such as education, translation, and industry (e.g., Nano Box AI Learning Glasses, Liang Liang Vision Leion Hey2); Meta plans to double the annual production capacity of Ray-Ban AI glasses to 20 million units, with domestic brands receiving over 1 billion yuan in financing and policy subsidies.

　　IV. Core Evolution Logic and Key Turning Points

　　The evolution of AI glasses follows a clear logic: starting from verifying basic display and computing capabilities, it has gone through the exploration of consumer-oriented functions and B-end scenario precipitation, and finally entered the stage of AI-driven iteration. Key turning points include Google Glass's pioneering of consumer smart glasses, HoloLens's validation of professional scenario value, Ray-Ban Stories's combination of fashion and intelligence, and the on-device deployment of large models and eSIM technology that promoted the transformation to independent terminals. Each stage's technological breakthroughs have solved core pain points such as bulkiness, high cost, and single function, pushing the industry from niche to mainstream.

　　V. Future Trends

　　Independent Terminalization: Popularization of eSIM and native applications, breaking free from reliance on smartphones.

　　Lightweight and Fashionable: Weight reduced to below 30g, adapting to refractive lens matching and enhancing daily wearing willingness.

　　Deep AI Integration: Multimodal interaction and customized vertical models to cover more professional scenarios.

　　Open Ecology: Google's Android XR and Meta's ecosystem promote third-party application and hardware cooperation, accelerating industry prosperity.