The first smart glasses, Google Glass, launched in 2014 and failed largely due to privacy concerns around video recording, with users stigmatized as 'glassholes.' A similar backlash is now emerging against Meta Glasses, which are increasingly being called 'perv glasses' due to their misuse by misogynistic individuals to secretly film women. This shift in public perception has led the author to reconsider the necessity of video recording capabilities in smart glasses, particularly for the upcoming Apple Glasses expected next year. Previously skeptical, the author now believes Apple should launch camera-free glasses, citing positive experiences testing a display-only pair since the summer.

The author expects Apple Glasses to include cameras only for Apple Intelligence purposes, without giving users access to video recordings—similar to how the new Audio Intelligence features on the Apple Watch operate. This development reflects growing consumer wariness around wearable recording devices and suggests Apple may avoid repeating the mistakes of Google Glass and Meta Glasses by prioritizing privacy from the outset.