Smart glasses are getting ridiculously futuristic, but I just want them to do these things

Smart glasses have always been one category of tech I've found sort of dystopian. The idea of having cameras, microphones, AI assistants, and even displays (like XREAL's Project Aura) built into something you wear on your face all day sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie!

Though I can appreciate just how far the technology has come, I can't help but wonder whether we're getting a little too carried away with making smart glasses as futuristic as possible. I'm tired of AI getting tossed into every feature imaginable, and I'm even more tired of companies trying to convince us that every piece of technology needs to completely reinvent how we live our lives.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for innovation. After all, I write about AI for a living! But when I think about what would actually convince me to wear a pair of smart glasses every day, it's not the flashy AI features or the promise of replacing my smartphone. It's a handful of much simpler things that would make my everyday life a little easier.

I just want Google Maps in front of my eyes

I'd like to get lost a little less, please

I'm terrible at directions. I'm always getting lost, and Google Maps is likely the most-used app on my phone. But think about the way you actually navigate somewhere when you're using Google Maps on your phone. You're looking up one moment, glancing down at your phone the next, then looking back up, only to realize you've somehow walked past the turn you were supposed to take.

It's a constant back-and-forth between your phone and the world around you, and it gets especially frustrating when you're exploring an unfamiliar city. That's exactly the kind of problem I'd love smart glasses to solve. I don't need a giant 3D map floating in front of my face or an AI assistant telling me where to go. Just give me a small arrow in the corner of my vision, the distance to my next turn, and maybe an indication of whether I'm heading in the right direction.

To be fair, a few smart glasses manufacturers have already figured out how useful this could be. The Even Realities G2, for instance, can display turn-by-turn navigation using Google Maps data, while MemoMind One (which I'm testing right now) and the Meta Ray-Ban Display also offer directions directly in your field of view.

However, there's still a catch. Not all of these glasses actually integrate with the Google Maps app itself, some rely on their own navigation platforms, and others have restrictions on where their navigation features work. What I really want is something that works just as reliably as Google Maps does on my phone, only without forcing me to look down at it every few seconds.

I've also found that the navigation itself isn't always as accurate or responsive as I'd like it to be. Directions can take a moment to update, and when you're walking through an unfamiliar area, even a slight delay can mean missing a turn or heading down the wrong street. If I'm going to rely on smart glasses to get me somewhere, I need to be able to trust the directions without constantly pulling out my phone to double-check that they're right. Otherwise, what's the point?

Show me my fitness stats without checking my wrist

My fitness stats belong in my field of view

I think the key to making smart glasses genuinely useful for the average person is to pull features from devices we already use every day, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. Take smartwatches and fitness trackers, for example. They've become such an integral part of how people track their health and fitness, but there's still one tiny inconvenience: you have to keep glancing down at your wrist to see your stats.

Now, imagine having all that information right in front of your eyes instead. Whether you're out for a run, cycling, or simply trying to hit your daily step goal, being able to see your heart rate, distance covered, pace, and other fitness metrics without breaking your stride would be incredibly convenient.

I'm not suggesting smart glasses need to replace fitness trackers altogether. In fact, I'd much rather they work together. My smartwatch could continue collecting all the data, while my glasses simply display the information I actually want to see!

Notifications and phone integration

One notification shouldn't turn into 30 minutes of scrolling

Most smart glasses (at least the ones coming out of China) already offer some form of notification support and smartphone integration. But I'd love to see manufacturers double down on these features instead of trying to cram even more AI-powered capabilities into their glasses.

I get distracted extremely easily, and a single ping on my phone is all it takes to send me down a rabbit hole. I'll pick it up to check one notification, somehow end up scrolling through Instagram, reply to a few messages, and completely forget what I was doing in the first place. By the time I finally put my phone down, I've wasted a good chunk of time on something that should've taken a few seconds.

That's why I'd love smart glasses to act as an extension of my phone. Let me quickly glance at a notification, decide whether it's worth responding to, and get back to whatever I was doing. Better yet, let me reply to messages, dismiss notifications, and check upcoming calendar reminders without having to reach for my phone at all.

Of course, I'd also want complete control over which notifications make it to my glasses. The last thing I need is to replace one source of distraction with another, especially when that distraction is literally sitting in front of my eyes.

Open-ear audio deserves more attention

Sometimes, I just want to listen to music

As much as companies want to convince us that smart glasses need cameras, displays, and increasingly powerful AI assistants, sometimes all I really want is to listen to music without sticking another pair of earbuds into my ears.

That's why I found Meta's recently launched Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses particularly interesting. Unlike the company's other smart glasses, these ditch the cameras and displays entirely, focusing instead on open-ear audio. You can listen to music, catch up on podcasts, and take calls, all while still being aware of what's happening around you.

I can see this being especially useful when I'm out for a walk, working around the house, or simply don't feel like wearing headphones for hours. Since the speakers are built into something I'd already be wearing, there's one less accessory to carry around or remember to charge.

Of course, open-ear audio isn't perfect. Sound leakage is a concern, especially in quieter environments, and I wouldn't expect a pair of glasses to replace proper headphones when I want to immerse myself in music.

Scanning QR codes

Not every feature needs to be revolutionary

This is something I've seen some smart glasses manufacturers already experiment with, but I'd love to see it become a standard feature across the board. QR codes are practically everywhere these days, from restaurant menus and payment terminals to Wi-Fi networks and event posters. Yet, every time I come across one, I still have to pull out my phone, open the camera, and scan the code.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses, for example, already let you scan QR codes using a voice command and open the corresponding link on your phone. But I'd love to see manufacturers take things a step further. Imagine looking at a QR code, triggering a scan with a quick gesture, and choosing whether to open the link, save it for later, or perform another relevant action.

I'd also love to see the same functionality extended to business cards and other information I come across throughout the day. If my glasses can recognize objects and answer questions about what I'm looking at, surely they can save someone's contact details without making me manually type everything into my phone.

Despite how dystopian I've always found smart glasses, I absolutely see the potential they have to become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. In fact, I believe they could eventually become as commonplace as smartwatches and wireless earbuds. However, I don't think the way to get there is by cramming every futuristic feature imaginable into a pair of glasses.