Are Smart Glasses the Next Big Thing? Big Tech Developments in 2025 Hint at What's Coming

The year 2025 saw an abundance of different smart glasses emerging from tech companies, including the likes of Meta, Google, and more already laying the groundwork for their future.

Are Smart Glasses the Next Big Thing?

It all started with the idea of portability. From clunky landline telephones to computers with CPUs, companies have made these smaller, more portable, fitting in one's hand or bags for everyday use anytime, anywhere.

The clunky telephones that needed wires were transformed to cellular phones, and then later to mobile handsets that could access the internet, and then, their final and latest iteration, the smartphones. On the other hand, desktop computers transformed into netbooks and laptops.

As the world became immersed in their portable devices, the idea of "immersive" experiences also led to VR headsets, where users may play, watch, and dive into deeper activities, all strapped to one's head.

It was later followed by the emergence of smartwatches and other types of wearables, with companies now envisioning augmented reality.

As companies want to augment the digital world in the real one and deliver a "connected" experience, the goal is to make it available in the everyday lifestyle of users, with smart glasses being the top candidates for this. Many believe that it is the next big thing.

Big Tech Developments in 2025

Meta is one of the top leaders in terms of smart glasses developments as this year, the company introduced two wearables for various purposes.

First, there is the Ray-Ban Meta Display, which now offers a heads-up display that beams on the lenses of its smart glasses, offering the basics of what it is shaping up to be AR glasses. Alongside this, the company also delivered the Oakley Meta HSTN, meant for those with an active lifestyle.

The biggest developments in this are the emergence of AI, with the models being a key driver to power these experiences, which Meta has already made possible.

Big Tech's Future Smart Glasses

Meta may have the biggest advantage in terms of developments for wearable technology as it has already worked on it for several years. However, the likes of Apple and Google are looking to catch up.

Apple already taken its first step into this immersive technology with the Vision Pro. That said, reports earlier this year claimed that Tim Cook is now seeing the rise of smart glasses as the next big thing, with the company said to be prioritizing smart glasses development over the Vision Pro line.

Google, on the other hand, has developed the Android XR to power Samsung's Galaxy XR headset, released last October. However, this is only the first step in its plans to develop Google's AR glasses, speculated to be a revival of the Google Glass.