Halliday’s Innovative Smart Glasses Omit the Camera Feature

There’s a new set of camera-less smart glasses hitting the market: the Halliday G2. These glasses are designed to listen in on workplace meetings, absorb the discussion, and summarize the key points, much like other always-on wearable devices. Halliday claims that the microphones can be activated for meetings using AI voice commands or for phone calls but will deactivate when not in use.

They resemble standard eyeglasses, aimed at seamlessly fitting into a professional setting by excluding cameras. Priced at $599, the first shipments are scheduled for September 2026. Halliday offers subscription tiers for its AI services, ranging from $10 to $99 per month, but users can opt for a complimentary tier that allows for 120 minutes of recording.

The G2 glasses from Halliday may face scrutiny from one of its competitors. Smart glasses brand Even Realities launched its G2 glasses late last year, emphasizing the absence of cameras in their design; Halliday’s G2 shares the same name and follows a similar theme, not to mention a notable visual resemblance. (In both instances, G2 stands for Generation 2, indicating the device’s stage rather than a specific brand.)

The trend of developing smart glasses without cameras appears to be gaining traction. The market is still led by Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have earned the label of “pervert glasses” due to incidents involving the device’s built-in cameras capturing images and videos of individuals without their knowledge, particularly women. To set themselves apart, some companies have introduced methods to cover their cameras, while others, like Even Realities and now Halliday, have opted to omit them entirely. Nevertheless, these glasses remain focused on recording ambient audio.

Photograph: Courtesy of Halliday

In its press release, Halliday states that unlike smart glasses equipped with cameras, the G2 is designed as “a professional tool for real-world work and social environments. With no camera, the glasses are more appropriate for meetings, client discussions, secure workplaces, and other settings where recording devices may not be welcomed.”

Despite this acknowledgment, Halliday’s G2 glasses lack an indicator light or any other means to inform those nearby that audio recording is taking place. Wearable devices such as Bee’s Pioneer do emit a light to signal recording, but their obscure design means that many people may still remain unaware. “The user should disclose to the room that the recording is in progress, as it is required by any other recording device,” a Halliday media contact stated in response to inquiries from WIRED.