When AI glasses could be a worthy headphones replacement

Nenad Cavoski/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover AI glasses have been growing in popularity for a few years now, and while they offer new possibilities, like an always-available AI assistant or camera, one often-overlooked feature is the open-ear speakers.

AI glasses like the Ray-Ban Metas come equipped with a pair of speakers that direct sound straight into the user's ear, allowing them to listen to music, take phone calls or receive alerts. But can they completely replace a pair of earbuds or headphones?

When the first Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses came out in October 2023, the general reaction to them was mixed, to say the least. On the one hand, they packed an impressive amount of technology in a form factor that closely resembles a regular pair of Ray-Bans.

On the other hand, the addition of a camera strapped to the user's face, capable of recording and even livestreaming anything the user is looking at, naturally caused some backlash, leading some establishments, such as MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean, to ban or restrict the use of smart glasses.

This has led several companies, Meta included, to start producing AI smart glasses that forgo the camera completely. The Ray-Ban Meta Audio offers most of the same features as their camera-enabled counterparts, just with an enhanced sense of privacy.

Alexander Fedosov/Shutterstock On paper, there is no comparison; two tiny speakers, contained entirely inside a pair of glasses that is desperately trying to seem like it has no tech inside it, could never compete with a big, dedicated pair of headphones designed to deliver the best portable sound possible. If what you are looking for is sound quality alone, AI smart glasses are not where you should be looking.

However, when it comes to ease of use, portability and comfort, AI smart glasses offer several key advantages that headphones, or even earbuds, simply cannot replicate.

The main advantage of using AI smart glasses as a replacement for headphones is that they are not a separate gadget you have to carry with you. They are not headphones — they are your glasses. They sit on your face and wait patiently for the moment you want to use them. They are just there, almost seamlessly, especially if you already wear glasses.

The second big advantage they have over regular headphones is that they leave your ears completely unobstructed. Headphones, especially good ones, do everything in their power to disconnect you from your surroundings. This is great if you want to be completely enveloped in your music, but it also means you are oblivious to audio cues, like a car honking at you or a person calling you to get your attention.

AI glasses offer a very different listening experience, allowing you to listen to your music or a podcast while still staying aware of your surroundings. You don't even have to shut off your music to have a conversation with a store clerk. A simple swipe on the side of the glasses lowers the volume, and it's easy to maintain a conversation with another person while having music playing in the background, just like you would in a car or at a restaurant.

Alexander Fedosov/Shutterstock While promotional materials tend to show people having complete conversations with their AI assistant, asking it for company quarterlies and stock market updates, normal everyday use is usually a lot more mundane and a lot more useful. Having the AI voice automatically read incoming messages and reminders is incredibly helpful, especially if you are trying to limit the number of times you grab your phone to read a message, only to find yourself doomscrolling several minutes later.

And yes, any pair of headphones or earbuds can do the same when combined with Siri or Google Gemini, but that only works if you happen to be wearing your headphones at the moment the message arrives. Smart glasses, on the other hand, are on you at all times, waiting patiently to alert you the second a message arrives.

Which brings us to one of the main things AI glasses do better than any headphones, which is phone calls. Whether it's a quick call on a busy street or a long heart-to-heart with a loved one while doing the dishes, conducting the conversation through a pair of glasses instead of headphones solves several problems at once, the main one being fatigue.

Holding a phone next to your ear for an extended period of time can be quite exhausting. Headphones solve that, but over-ear headphones get hot after a while, and earbuds seal you off from the world around you. With glasses, there's nothing trapping heat, and you can walk around, hear the street and even watch TV, all while staying on the call.

Naturally, open-ear speakers are never as private as a pair of headphones, and if you sit right next to someone else in a quiet room, they might hear your entire conversation. But when walking down the street or even sitting next to someone on a bus or train, the sound bleed is minimal.

If you have been avoiding AI smart glasses because of privacy concerns or suspicious looks, perhaps it's time to consider a pair without a camera. The open-ear speakers by themselves might be worth the price of the glasses, especially if you care less about sound quality than you do about quality of life. They might even help you reduce your screen time in a meaningful way.