Buyer's guide · September 2026
How much do smart glasses cost? A price map by type.
Price pages in this category often cover one brand and rarely say when they were written. This one maps the whole category by what the glasses actually do, dates every number, and links each one back to the store it came from. Then it adds the costs the sticker leaves out.
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The smart glasses price map, by type
Short version: the smart glasses we priced on official brand stores on September 25, 2026 ran from $149 to $849. Cheaper models exist outside that set: the Lucyd store also listed a frame called Moonrise at $99, and no-name camera glasses go lower still, as our cheapest camera glasses guide shows. The ranges below describe the models in our table, not every product on sale. That spread is not one market. It is four product types that happen to share a frame, and the type you need decides your budget long before the brand does. Pick the type first, then compare prices inside it.
| Type | What it does | Price range seen | Examples (official store price) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-only | Built around open-ear speakers, mics for calls and a voice assistant. | $149–$429 | Lucyd Armor $149 · Solos AirGo A5 $249–$349 · Ray-Ban Meta Audio Burbank $429 (Transitions lens) |
| Camera + audio | Everything above, plus a camera for photos and video, often translation. | $149–$499 | OXIVUE $149–$199 · Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 $379 · VIVE Eagle $499 |
| Display | A small screen in the lens for text, captions or prompts. | $399–$799 | Brilliant Labs Halo $399 · Even G2 from $599 · Meta Ray-Ban Display $799 |
| AR screen | A large virtual screen for a phone, laptop or console. | $299–$849 | XREAL a01+ $299 · XREAL 1S $449 · XREAL One Pro $599 · ROG XREAL R1 $849 |
Source: every competitor price above was read off the brand’s own store on September 25, 2026, in US dollars, and each links out below. Prices in this category move with every generation and every sale, so reload the source before you act on it. For Meta’s full lineup of thirteen frames in one table, see how much Meta glasses cost.
What each price tier actually buys
Audio-only: $149 to $429
Audio glasses replace earbuds, not a camera. You get open-ear speakers near the temple, microphones for calls, and in most current models a voice assistant. Lucyd sells its Armor audio safety frames at $149, and Solos lists its AirGo A5 audio AI frames at $249, or $349 in titanium. Meta now sells an audio line too: the Ray-Ban Meta Audio Burbank, which its store page presents as audio glasses, was $429 with a Transitions lens. The lesson from this tier: dropping the camera does not make big-brand glasses cheap, because the frame licence is a large part of the price.
Our own audio frame, the M01 Pro, is listed at $19.90 as a reservation with no payment taken today. It is not shipping yet, so it is not a price you can pay this week, and we have left it out of the range above.
Camera + audio: $149 to $499
This is the tier most people mean by AI glasses: a camera in the frame, open-ear audio, an assistant, and in many cases live translation. The OXIVUE line runs $149 to $199 list. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 was $379, and the VIVE Eagle, with the 12 MP ultra-wide camera its listing describes, was $499 on the Lucyd store. Before comparing prices inside this tier, list the features you will use and check each one on the listing: camera resolution, translation and the assistant are where these frames differ, and the frame brand is where the price differs most.
Display: $399 to $799
The step up from camera glasses to display glasses is the largest jump in the category, because a readable image in front of your eye needs its own optics. Brilliant Labs Halo, which its store describes as having a colour display, was $399. The Even G2 listing ran from $599 to $948 across its configurations, and the Meta Ray-Ban Display with Neural Band was $799. If you need to read navigation or captions with both hands busy, this is the tier. If you do not, it is money spent on a component you will rarely switch on.
AR screen glasses: $299 to $849
AR screen glasses are a different product that shares the word glasses. They exist to put a large virtual screen in front of you for films, work or games, not to take photos or answer questions on a walk. XREAL’s own lineup ran from $299 for the a01+ to $849 for the ROG XREAL R1. If a search for AI glasses has shown you these prices, that is why the numbers look high: it is a different tier.
The four costs the sticker price leaves out
- Prescription lenses. For many buyers this is the biggest line after the frame. On September 25, 2026, the Lucyd store listed Zeiss Photofusion X single-vision lenses at $149 to $269 and progressives at $299 to $449. OXIVUE frames ship non-prescription — three lens choices across the M08 family, a fixed shield on the M14 — and prescription is on our Season Two roadmap with no date attached. Our prescription smart glasses guide covers the workarounds.
- Subscriptions and usage caps. Check whether the features you are paying for keep working at no cost. Brilliant Labs says Halo features are included free with daily usage caps. OXIVUE has no subscription of any kind: the companion app is free and translation is included. See smart glasses without a subscription for where recurring fees hide.
- Import VAT and duties outside the US. OXIVUE prices are in US dollars and exclude import taxes. Outside the United States, customs may charge import VAT or IVA, duties and a carrier handling fee before delivery, payable by the recipient. Norway collects 25% import VAT; Switzerland 8.1% import VAT plus a clearance fee; Mexico roughly half the order value in taxes and carrier fees. Our shipping policy lists each case.
- Shipping, and what happens if you change your mind. OXIVUE ships free on orders from $99 and charges a flat $9.99 below that; Switzerland ($20) and Oman ($35) carry a flat rate of their own. On returns: no refunds except transit damage (replaced or refunded); faults are repaired or replaced under the 2-year warranty; change of mind and unmet expectations are not refundable. Read our return policy before you order, and compare it with the policy of any brand you are weighing us against.
Where OXIVUE sits, at the price you pay
Declared interest: we make camera-and-audio AI glasses, so weigh this section accordingly. Our four frames on sale list at $149 to $199. During the New-Vision Event the discount is applied at checkout, not with a code: $50 off a single pair, or 50% off every pair once two or more are in the bag, in any mix of models. Watches are excluded. Every single pair clears the $99 free-shipping line after the discount.
| Model | List | Single pair at checkout | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| M08 | $149 | $99 | 42 g Italian TR90, 8 MP camera, 7 h listening / 4 h calls, 40+ languages, three lens choices |
| M02C | $159 | $109 | 41 g, Sony 219 sensor with dual stabilisation, IP65, Hey Cyan visual assistant, magnetic charging |
| M08C | $169 | $119 | 42 g with gold or silver trim, 8 MP camera, 40+ languages, three lens choices |
| M14 | $199 | $149 | 52 g wrap shield, 8 MP Sony IMX219, 1080p 30 fps with EIS, 139 languages, IPX4, 4 h listening / 7 h calls |
Two pairs work out at half list each: an M08 and an M14 together come to $174. The M14 is not a bigger M08 — its battery splits the other way and its one-piece shield does not swap for another lens. Every OXIVUE frame carries a 2-year warranty against defects. The full spec comparison is on /compare.
What that price does not include, against the tiers above: a display, which nothing we make has; a fashion licence, because there is no Ray-Ban or Oakley on our frames; and prescription lenses today. What it does include: the camera, open-ear audio, Bluetooth 5.4, and live two-way translation through a free app, with no social login and no subscription.
Which tier to buy, by what you actually want
- Music and calls without earbuds. Audio-only, $149 to $429 for the models above. Skip the camera premium.
- Photos, video, translation and an assistant. Camera + audio. The M08 lists at $149, $99 as a single pair at checkout. Cheaper no-name camera glasses exist; our cheapest camera glasses guide covers what they cut.
- Reading text in your line of sight. Display glasses, $399 and up. Nothing without a display does this, whatever its price.
- A big screen for films or a laptop. AR screen glasses, $299 to $849. Different job, different tier.
- Under $200 with the most features. See our ranked best AI glasses under $200.
Bottom line
The smart glasses we priced on official brand stores ran $149 to $849, and the type — audio, camera, display or AR screen — explains most of that spread. Decide which of the four you need, then add the costs the sticker leaves out: prescription lenses, any subscription, import VAT outside the US and shipping. If the camera-and-audio tier is the one you want, the OXIVUE M08 lists at $149, $99 as a single pair at checkout, with the M02C, M08C and M14 above it. The whole lineup is on the eyewear page.
Frequently asked questions
How much do smart glasses cost?
The models we priced on official brand stores on September 25, 2026 ran from $149 to $849, and the type of glasses decides where you land more than the brand does. Cheaper models exist outside that set: the Lucyd store also listed a $99 frame, and no-name camera glasses go lower still. In our set, audio-only frames ran $149 to $429, camera-and-audio frames $149 to $499, glasses with a display in the lens $399 to $799, and AR screen glasses $299 to $849. Prescription lenses, subscriptions and import taxes outside the US sit on top of those numbers.
How much are AI glasses?
The OXIVUE M08, a camera, open-ear audio and voice-assistant frame, lists at $149 ($99 as a single pair during the New-Vision Event). Cheaper no-name camera glasses exist, with trade-offs covered in our cheapest camera glasses guide. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 frames were $379 on meta.com on September 25, 2026, and the VIVE Eagle was $499 on the Lucyd store. Adding a display in the lens moves the price to $399 and up.
Why do some smart glasses cost $799 or more?
A display. Putting readable text in front of your eye needs an optical engine and a waveguide or similar optic, and that optic is one of the most expensive parts of any smart eyewear. On September 25, 2026 the Meta Ray-Ban Display was $799 and the Even G2 started at $599. Frames without a display, camera included, stayed at or below $499 in every store we checked.
Do smart glasses need a subscription?
Not always, and it is worth checking before you buy. OXIVUE frames have no subscription of any kind: the companion app is free and translation is included. Brilliant Labs says Halo features are included free with daily usage caps. Our guide to smart glasses without a subscription lists the four places a recurring fee tends to hide.
How much do prescription lenses add to smart glasses?
It can cost as much as the frame itself. On September 25, 2026 the Lucyd store listed Zeiss Photofusion X single-vision lenses at $149 to $269 and progressives at $299 to $449. OXIVUE frames ship non-prescription today; prescription is on our Season Two roadmap with no date attached.
Is there tax or duty on top of the price?
Outside the United States, usually yes. OXIVUE prices are in US dollars and exclude import taxes; your customs authority may charge import VAT or IVA, duties and a carrier handling fee before delivery, paid by the recipient. Norway collects 25% import VAT, Switzerland 8.1%, and Mexico roughly half the order value in taxes and carrier fees.