If you’ve been curious about where smart glasses are heading beyond gimmicks and prototype buzz, I recently came across some fascinating updates from Brilliant Labs that might just change the game. Their new Halo smart glasses, launching late 2025 at $299, don’t just overlay info or translate languages—they aim to remember your life for you.
Building on last year’s open-source Frame glasses, the Halo brings sleekness and smarts together in a lightweight, matte black frame reminiscent of classic Ray-Ban Wayfarers, but packed with AI mojo powerful enough to feel genuinely useful. What caught my eye most was this notion of an “agentic memory system” called Narrative, paired with an AI agent named Noa that’s smarter and more conversational than most wearable assistants I’ve heard about.
Halo’s AI memory: remembering you and those you meet
Here’s the big idea: Noa isn’t just answering questions with canned responses—it’s constantly processing what it sees and hears, building a secure, personalized knowledge base from your daily interactions. Meeting someone new? The glasses will remember their name and details from past conversations, so you don’t have to.
This ‘Narrative’ system stores snapshots of your experiences but, mind you, Brilliant Labs emphasizes privacy. They say all the visual and auditory data collected is converted to irreversible mathematical representations—meaning no raw data gets saved or shared externally. It’s a bold attempt to tackle one of the biggest hurdles in wearable AI: how to stay useful without compromising sensitive personal info.
“Halo’s AI assistant can recall names and past conversations, making it feel like a natural, intuitive companion rather than just a digital tool.”
Vibe Mode: building apps by just talking to your glasses
Another standout feature I discovered is Vibe Mode, an experimental tool that lets you create custom applications on the fly using natural language voice commands. Rather than searching endlessly for a suitable app, you can simply tell Noa what you want—maybe a navigation aid tailored to your walking route or a quick reminder app—and it’ll whip one up for you. Even cooler: these apps, or “vibes”, can be shared and remixed by the community, fostering an open-source ecosystem of wearable experiences.
This approach makes Halo not just a gadget, but a platform inviting collaboration and customization. Sure, this could mean some early apps will be rough around the edges, but it’s exciting to see such a fresh model for wearable software evolve outside the traditional app store paradigm.
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Hardware that balances style, function, and endurance
The Halo glasses weigh just over 40 grams, pretty lightweight considering they pack in a color microOLED display that projects info into your peripheral vision. Unlike some smart eyewear relying purely on earbuds, Halo uses bone-conduction speakers—so you hear responses clearly without blocking your surroundings or having to wear headphones.
Thanks to an efficient AI chip with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit, the battery promises up to 14 hours of use, which is impressive for all-day wear. The design hits a sweet spot: traditional enough to wear comfortably and not stand out too much, but tech-packed under the hood.
It’s also great to know that if you need prescription lenses, Brilliant Labs has teamed up with SmartBuyGlasses to offer options, so you’re not forced into a one-size-fits-all deal.
Key takeaways for wearable AI enthusiasts
- Halo’s Narrative memory system brings a new level of personalization by securely remembering people and conversations, which could make daily interactions smoother and less stressful.
- Vibe Mode empowers users to quickly create and customize apps with voice commands, potentially reshaping how we think about wearable software ecosystems.
- Hardware design balances a lightweight frame, bone conduction audio, and a vivid color display, making the glasses both functional and stylish for everyday use.
Wrapping up: Is this the smart glasses moment?
Overall, Brilliant Labs’ Halo smart glasses feel like a meaningful step closer to the smart glasses many of us have imagined—where AI blends seamlessly into everyday life and actually helps rather than distracts. The prospect of a wearable assistant that remembers the names of people you just met, or helps you build tailored apps on demand, is tantalizing.
That said, the real proof will be in the hands-on experience and how well the privacy safeguards stand up under scrutiny. But for anyone excited about the future of AI-powered wearables, the Halo is definitely one to watch when it ships in late 2025.
Shipping starts Q4 2025, first come first served – You can pre-order here.
