AI glasses push open-ear audio as wearables expand into pendants

Engadget reported that AI glasses such as Ray-Ban Meta include open-ear speakers that direct sound into the wearer’s ear for music, calls and alerts. When the first Ray-Ban Meta glasses arrived in October 2023, they packed technology into a familiar frame but drew backlash over a face-mounted camera capable of recording and livestreaming; MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean were among establishments that banned or restricted smart glasses, according to the report. That led companies including Meta to make camera-less AI glasses, and the Ray-Ban Meta Audio offers most of the same features with more privacy, Engadget said.

Engadget said the glasses cannot match dedicated headphones on sound quality on paper: two tiny speakers inside a pair of glasses cannot compete with larger, purpose-built headphones. Their advantages are ease of use, portability and comfort. They are not a separate gadget to carry; they sit on the face and are available when needed. They also leave the ears unobstructed, so users can hear a car horn or someone calling them, and a swipe on the side lowers the volume for a conversation while music plays in the background. For phone calls, Engadget said glasses avoid the fatigue of holding a phone, the heat of over-ear headphones and the isolation of earbuds, allowing users to walk, hear the street and even watch TV while staying on a call. Open-ear speakers are not as private as headphones, and someone nearby in a quiet room might hear the whole conversation, the report said.

TechCrunch rounded up AI wearables beyond glasses. Bee, a $49.99 pendant that clips to clothing or wears like a fitness band, records what it hears and learns routines to create reminders and notes; its iOS companion app comes with a $19 monthly subscription. Amazon acquired the startup in July 2025 and earlier this month launched the $74.99 Bee Frontier, worn on the wrist or clipped to clothing, and the $99.99 Bee Eclipse, a credit-card-sized device that attaches magnetically to the back of a smartphone. Both offer the same core functionality and can connect to Alexa, according to TechCrunch.

Friend is a $129 white pendant that hangs around the neck and acts as an emotional-support companion, recognizing tone and mood and sending proactive messages; it has also faced criticism, including vandalism of its New York City subway ads with messages such as “surveillance capitalism,” TechCrunch reported. The company recently introduced Friend 2.0 with a built-in speaker. Limitless, a $99 pendant formerly known as Rewind, continuously listens and transcribes meetings, calls and conversations with consent into searchable summaries; its app includes 10 hours of AI features per month, with unlimited features for $29 per month. Meta introduced its first AI wearable, Muse Charm, in September; it has not shipped, but is expected to feature a digital avatar called Jolly on a miniature display in a pocket-sized device that can be carried or attached to a keychain, with voice commands.

TechCrunch also listed Nirva, a startup founded by former Meta Reality Labs employees, whose pendant or bracelet uses AI to turn everyday speech into a personal journal; orders are planned for November, with shipments to early users targeted for the end of the year at $249. Omi, priced at $89, answers questions, summarizes conversations, creates to-do lists and helps schedule meetings, and can be worn as a necklace or attached to the side of the head with medical tape; it runs conversations through ChatGPT to remember context and offer personalized advice. Plaud’s NotePin, at $159, is a wearable voice recorder that can be worn on the wrist or attached magnetically to clothing and offers AI transcription and summarization for lawyers, journalists and students.

Engadget, in a separate report, explained why earbuds usually cost less than headphones. It cited Mordor Intelligence data showing true-wireless stereo earbuds accounted for 68.2% of revenue in the earbud and headphone market in 2025, with portability, lightweight design and improvements in battery life and spatial audio contributing. Earbuds are smaller and less complex to build, use components that can be cheaper by size or materials, and lack adjustable headbands or earcup padding, Engadget reported. It also cited Anker’s Soundcore brand saying larger drivers cost more and headphones tend to have larger drivers, and CNET saying more brands and off-the-shelf designs from Chinese factories can lower earbud prices. Engadget added that active noise cancellation is generally not as effective in earbuds as in headphones and can depend on fit.