Halliday Smart Glasses: Tiny Screen Beams Directly to Your Eye

Halliday’s Smart Glasses: A New Approach to Wearable Technology

Approaching an individual utilizing Halliday’s smart glasses may not immediately reveal they are accessing smartphone alerts, real-time language translation, or guidance from an artificial intelligence assistant.

The sole indicator of their use is a minuscule green light visible on the user’s eye.

Introducing the DigiWindow

Wearables innovator Halliday unveiled a new pair of smart glasses at CES 2025, projecting a 3.5-inch circular display directly into the user’s field of vision. The component responsible for this display is the DigiWindow, a remarkably small, circular module – smaller than the tip of a finger – positioned inside the Halliday frames, just above the right eye.

Unlike many augmented reality glasses which project images onto the lenses, Halliday employs a more direct method. By directing the DigiWindow directly towards the eye, the need for costly AR lenses is bypassed, resulting in a more affordable and aesthetically pleasing design. Prescription lenses can also be seamlessly integrated.

Shipments of these glasses are scheduled to begin in March 2025. The retail price is $489, however, preorders placed this week through their Kickstarter campaign, with a $9.90 pledge, are available for $369.

Real-World Testing and Capabilities

A demonstration of the Halliday smart glasses took place in a quiet area of Ceaser’s Palace Casino in Las Vegas, with the company’s founder, Carter Hou, communicating in Chinese.

English subtitles appeared promptly, with a delay of only one second, above Hou’s right shoulder. A bilingual exchange ensued, with Hou speaking in Chinese and the reporter in English, facilitated by the glasses’ translation capabilities.

Halliday’s glasses provide real-time translation for 40 different languages. Furthermore, they display phone notifications, offer a digital cheat sheet for notes, and provide navigational guidance. Integrated speakers in the arms of the glasses can play audio or read messages, though the display remains the primary feature.

An “proactive AI assistant” is also included, designed to offer contextual information during conversations. However, Hou indicated that this feature was not yet ready for testing during the demonstration.

The emergence of smart glasses as a prominent platform for AI integration is accelerating. The DigiWindow’s display could prove invaluable for accessing text-based large language models, such as ChatGPT or Gemini, throughout the day.

Fit and Safety Considerations

Halliday is still refining the positioning of the DigiWindow, which requires precise alignment above the eye for optimal display. The module allows for a few centimeters of back-and-forth adjustment and a slight tilt. However, due to the reporter’s high nose bridge, the DigiWindow did not align perfectly, necessitating the glasses be worn lower on the nose.

Regarding the safety of directing the green light into the eye, Hou assured that the glasses are entirely safe, and no discomfort was experienced during the 10-minute trial. Nevertheless, some users may feel apprehensive about having light directed so closely to their eyes.

A control ring, designed to be worn on the index finger, is also offered for navigating the glasses’ features via thumb movements. This accessory was not available for testing during the demonstration.

Halliday’s smart glasses are both slimmer and lighter than Ray-Ban Metas, and notably lack front-facing cameras. This design contributes to a more conventional appearance, resembling standard eyeglasses.

Smart glasses equipped with cameras can sometimes attract unwanted attention, raising privacy concerns. However, the inclusion of cameras is considered a valuable feature by many, enabling photo and video capture without the need to remove a smartphone.

Halliday’s smart glasses present a compelling and readily available option for those interested in smart glasses with a display, contrasting with prototypes from larger technology companies that lack confirmed launch dates.

Further CES 2025 Coverage:

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• The new partnership between Toyota and Nvidia
• Kirin’s innovative electric salt spoon
• Segway’s introduction of two new e-bikes