According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets, the global smart glasses market is projected to reach 13 million units by 2030.
The growth is propelled by technological advances, increased investment, and expanding industry applications. Enhancements in display quality, battery life, and performance have made augmented reality (AR) glasses more practical for daily use. Companies are investing in affordable, versatile solutions for both enterprise and consumer markets.
There have been some interesting new advances in technology to entice consumers to get on board.
Pay through AR glasses
In June 2025, Rokid, working with Alipay, released AR glasses in China that support in-store payments. Users connect their Alipay accounts through the Rokid app and activate voice verification. To pay, they say, “Rokid, pay [amount],” and the glasses scan the merchant’s Alipay QR code.
Confirming transactions by voice, with payment details displayed on the screen, makes transactions faster—taking seconds instead of the typical 20-30 seconds with phone QR payments—and allows for hands-free use.
This collaboration hints at a future where shopping could become even more seamless, possibly enabling payments through simple gestures or gazes at products.
Anti-Minority Report?
Inavate also reports that a new augmented reality application enables users to digitally hide real-world advertisements in public areas by using Snap Spectacles.
In the 2002 film Minority Report, the future is shown as a world with endless personalised ads following you. This app could do the opposite.
Created by Belgian developer Stijn Spanhove, this app identifies and blocks real-world ads in real-time using Snap Spectacles and Google’s Gemini AI. The Depth Cache API from Snap detects 3D objects, ensuring overlays stay aligned as users move.
Gemini, Google’s AI, identifies branded content across various media, including posters, newspapers, and packaging. This allows the blocker to operate beyond visible signage. The app is currently in the experimental stage.
Smart contact lenses
Finally, tech company XPANCEO, valued at $1.35bn, presented multiple prototypes of AR smart contact lenses at AWE Asia 2024 and MWC 2024, with a fully operational version expected to launch by the end of 2026.
AR smart contact lenses are sophisticated wearable devices that embed augmented reality capabilities directly into contact lenses, providing a less obtrusive alternative to larger AR/VR equipment headsets.
These lenses are designed to deliver immersive visuals, health monitoring, and content browsing—similar to traditional XR devices—within an ultra-thin form factor akin to medical contact lenses.
XPANCEO is developing prototypes tailored to various needs. One helps colour-blind users by enhancing colour perception with a thin display that adjusts lighting and contrast. Another offers optical verification for secure digital activities, addressing privacy concerns with smart glasses’ cameras.
The XR lens enables access to features such as immersive video calls, social media, gaming, and medical data via biosensors displayed heads-up.
Last month, immersive art company Meow Wolf announced it had partnered with Niantic Spatial, the makers of Pokémon Go, to expand the Meow Wolf universe AR. The two companies are collaborating to extend the world of Meow Wolf beyond the walls of its physical exhibitions and into everyday environments.
