They're so sleek, no one even thinks to ask if they're smart glasses. Standing up on a stage about to give a talk at a conference in Rust, Germany, I wore the Even Realities G2 glasses to prove a point. In my field of view, a glowing monochrome 3D text display brought up notes on a teleprompter window. I tapped to navigate with a metallic ring on my right forefinger.
And like that, my talking points drifted in a slow scroll to match the moments when I mentioned key terms as I improvised.
This was my first time trying smart glasses with a teleprompter in a real-life situation where I couldn't risk failure. The $599 G2 glasses only half passed the test. While these camera-free smart glasses have the lightweight framing I want, fit my extremely myopic prescription and have battery life to last a full day and then some, they don't work nearly as fluidly as I'd want. Which is why, midway through my live talk, I basically abandoned the teleprompter function and improvised the rest of the way.
Smart glasses right now are like early smartwatches a decade ago, a wild mix of ideas thrown against the wall by an increasing number of companies, mixing features and AI services and interfaces in different combinations. There are no clear standards for smart glasses yet, like there are for phones, earbuds or even watches.
Scott Stein/CNET
While Meta has stolen most of the spotlight and market with its AI-enabled and chunky Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses, they're not the only forms in the wild. Meta's glasses have cameras and microphones, and onboard speakers, acting as face-worn recording devices. Only one model right now has a display. The Meta Ray-Ban Displays have a single color display in one eye, and they don't have lenses that can be made for my high-index eye prescription. They also have battery life that can't last a full day, or even just a few hours.
Even Realities' glasses are a totally different story. The second-generation models can fit a wide range of prescriptions, even beyond mine (up to +/-12). The battery life lasts well over a day. They have dual, larger displays in monochrome green. And they don't have cameras at all. Or speakers. Just displays and microphones.
I got fitted for a prescription pair to try, thanks to Even, and have been wearing them on and off since the start of the year (prescription lenses cost at least $159 to add to the glasses). I wore them at CES in Las Vegas, and out to a German immersive entertainment conference called Aurea. I've worn them into New York. And I've been trying them along with a separately sold $249 smart ring, the Even R1, that controls the glasses and doubles as a heart rate-measuring fitness tracker.
I love that these glasses are so trim and compact. So discreet. And that they fit my eyes and have amazing battery life. I just wish the rest of it worked as well as it promised. Some AI features are great, but I wish there were more.
The Even G2 glasses do have a remarkably compact design. Seen next to them: the separately-sold R1 control ring that's also a fitness tracker. Scott Stein/CNET
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