Thanks to the occasional side eye in the street, the cocked brow of a cashier, or the cold sweat forming on the forehead of couriers as I hand over parcels, I'm well aware of a distinct... Unabomber chic that comes with wearing a pair of smart glasses or AR frames in public.
Perhaps that's partially the fault of many models' Wayfarer sunglasses-like style being ill-fitting for the current coldest portions of the year. Maybe it's their slightly unnatural posture on my face. Or it could be some deep-rooted paranoia from Joe Public about being caught on candid camera.
Either way, judging by the influx of smart glasses heading our way after several big CES 2025 reveals, these things are clearly shaping up to be the wearable of the future — and, if you can't get past your technophobic 'ick' for smart glasses? Well, that's a you problem.
The "Glasshole" double standard
Pull out your phone in public to record yourself eating a meal, rubbernecking at an automobile accident, or LARPing as a gym-goer for thirsty Twitch users, and nobody bats an eye.
Pop on a pair of smart glasses or a slightly thicker pair of AR frames with a tethered cable, and people look at you like you just sloped out of a white van with "Free candy" painted on its side.
People are practically falling over themselves to be willingly data-farmed by Chinese state-sponsored video platforms like TikTok, but the second somebody notices I'm wearing a pair of Ray-Ban Metas, suddenly I'm the privacy issue.
"Is that recording?" No. Don't worry, you're boring.
No, I'm not recording you, I'm watching 'The Sopranos'
According to Google, over 500 hours of content gets uploaded to YouTube every minute, no doubt from millions of young, aspiring Bugatti owners who think the pathway to success is paved by having a perm and a chip on your shoulder.
I fail to see how, amongst all that, a video of you eating a breakfast roll on the subway would be my golden ticket to social media celebrity status. No, I am most certainly not recording you.
Similarly, friendly barista, I'm not staring at you pouring hot water into a cup as part of a wider plan to make a viral video, I'm making sure you don't spit in my tea and virally infect me.
Smart glasses aren't some always-on James Bond spy gadget, they're just a hands-free extension of my phone. If I wanted to invade your privacy I'd follow you on Instagram or apply for a job at Google.
As it happens, 99 percent of the time while I'm wearing smart glasses, I'm either listening to a podcast about how lizard people built the pyramids, or discretely watching James Gandolfini exhale through his nose in thinly veiled frustration across six seasons of The Sopranos.
Today's weird, tomorrow's trend
Contrary to popular belief, he who laughs first or loudest, rarely laughs last. Once upon a time, Bluetooth headsets were ridiculed for making middle-aged businessmen look like they were having a psychotic break.
Now you'll be cast out like a social pariah if you don't have the modern AirPod equivalent poking out of at least one ear canal at all times in public.
There was also a moment in history when the action of talking to your electronics would've resulted in you being awarded a very snug, rear-fixing jacket courtesy of the state.
Now I can freely admit to spending up to ten percent of my day telling Amazon's Alexa to shut up, and half of you are enthusiastically nodding along in agreement as you read that.
As is often the case with technology, what feels alien today becomes second nature tomorrow, and we're primed for an explosion in smart glasses popularity in 2025 and beyond — whether it be due to emerging AR glasses brands like XREAL and Viture, or big-name players with the rumored announcement of Samsung's upcoming frames at its Galaxy Unpacked event later this month, Apple's smart glasses set for 2027, or Meta's continued success with a third-generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses expected to be unveiled later this year.
