I’ve been testing smart glasses for years, and can’t believe Amazon cut $65 off the price of the RayNeo Air 3s Pro. If you’ve always wanted a personal theater on the go, now’s your chance.
I’ve been covering AR smart glasses since they started evolving from niche enterprise and industrial roles into general-purpose tools anyone can use. Smart glasses are still developing as wear-anywhere devices, but I regularly use them to watch movies or get work done when I’m away from my desk or TV. Black Friday weekend is a great time to pick up a pair for yourself, and my top budget-friendly pick, the RayNeo Air 3s Pro, just dropped to an even lower price for Black Friday. These glasses are usually $299, but you can get them for $234 while this deal lasts.What to Know About AR Smart Glasses
Smart glasses fall into several distinct categories, making it challenging to distinguish between them. The models in this story are generally known as augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, but that isn’t an entirely accurate term, and I prefer to call them display smart glasses, specifically prism display smart glasses. They use tiny projectors built into the frames that bounce off prism-shaped lenses to display a large, sharp, and colorful picture before your eyes. They’re great for watching video, working, and even playing video games while you’re sitting down, but they aren’t suited for walking around. That’s because the lens assemblies can obscure some of your vision, and these glasses require a wired connection to a device, such as a phone or computer, that can output video over USB-C. They mirror the device’s screen on a private display that appears, to your eyes, like a large theater. They’re a vital part of my travel gear because they allow me to enjoy media and work on projects privately, with a much bigger view than my phone or laptop screens can offer.
Wireless AI-powered smart glasses are a very different beast. They’re more lightweight and designed to resemble ordinary glasses or sunglasses, allowing you to wear them comfortably when you’re out and about. They usually focus on AI features and voice control, allowing you to ask a virtual assistant like Meta AI or ChatGPT questions, make calls, listen to music, and take pictures. With some models, you can even ask the AI for information about what you’re looking at. AI smart glasses may not have any visual functionality at all and can be an audio-only option, such as the Oakley Meta HSTN.
Wireless AI models that feature displays, such as the Meta Ray-Ban Display and Rokid Glasses, utilize a waveguide etched pattern on a single, flat lens to redirect light from a micro-projector to the user’s eyes.
