Singapore-based start-up Brilliant Labs has entered the smart glasses market with its new Frame smart glasses, which feature a custom AI-powered assistant called Noa. The glasses utilize large language models (LLMs) to provide users with assistance in their daily lives. The CEO of Brilliant Labs, Bobak Tavangar, believes that generative AI is the game-changer that will make smart eyewear a mainstream product. The Frame glasses are slim and lightweight, making them comfortable for all-day wear. They are available for pre-order at a price of $349 per pair and will start shipping in April.
While companies like Apple are reinvigorating the smart eyewear market with products like the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, Asian companies, including Chinese companies Xreal and RayNeo, are focusing on creating more fashionable and sleek glasses. Brilliant Labs sees the integration of generative AI as the key to making smart glasses more appealing to consumers.
Tavangar compares the Frame glasses to the Rabbit R1, an AI-powered handheld device that debuted in 2024, rather than other AR glasses on the market. He believes that past efforts to make AR glasses fun and exciting by incorporating virtual elements like whales and dinosaurs have not been successful because they lacked a meaningful purpose. According to Tavangar, generative AI provides that purpose and enhances the user experience.
The primary value proposition of the Frame glasses is their AI-powered assistant, Noa. Noa uses different language models depending on the user’s query. For example, it might utilize Stable Diffusion to generate images in real-time or OpenAI’s GPT models for general information requests. In the future, users will have the option to select different models, such as Baidu’s Ernie Bot for use in mainland China where foreign AI services are banned.
Brilliant Labs is part of a larger trend in the industry to create stylish and fashionable smart eyewear that people would want to wear in public. Chinese companies like RayNeo and Xreal are also focusing on the glasses form factor to differentiate their products from bulkier options. RayNeo’s X2 glasses and X2 Lite glasses offer features like a virtual assistant and overlaying maps for navigation. Xreal’s Air 2 Ultra glasses compete with Apple’s Vision Pro with features like gaming, watching films, and an extended desktop feature.
While companies like Facebook and Meta have collaborated with popular brands like Ray-Ban to produce stylish glasses, Brilliant Labs aims to offer a combination of style and advanced technology. The company prioritizes sustainability and uses open-source tech and off-the-shelf components in its manufacturing process. It has attracted investors like Framework’s CEO Nirav Patel and Pebble’s founder Eric Migicovsky.
Brilliant Labs is currently a small start-up with limited production capacity. However, it has experienced unexpectedly high demand for its previous product, Monacle, and expects even higher demand for the Frame glasses. The company aims to align its production closely with demand and maintains zero inventory. The Frame glasses are available for pre-order and will begin shipping in April.
