ACCESS The AI glasses race is heating up
28 snips
Jan 9, 2026 In this conversation, Alex Himel, a Meta executive responsible for the company's innovative wearables, shares insights from CES and the evolution of smart glasses. He discusses design choices that prioritize rich displays, the challenges of creating AI rings, and how partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley shaped their wearables. Himel also explores early usage patterns of display glasses and the significant role AI plays in making these devices more intuitive. Plus, he shares a humorous personal story about AI assisting with sandwich-making!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Smart Glasses Become A Mainstream Trend
- CES 2026 showed smart glasses and AI wearables becoming mainstream trends across many vendors.
- The event revealed a shift from niche prototypes to competitive consumer products backed by major brands.
Glasses Can Handle Spam Calls Seamlessly
- Alex Himel demonstrated declining a spam phone call through his glasses using the neural band.
- Ellis Hamburger noted he didn't notice because he was present with the hosts.
Multiple Input Modalities Are Emerging
- Different companies pursue distinct input modalities: Meta uses a neural band, Snap focuses on hand gestures, Apple-like devices use spatial input.
- Input modality diversity suggests multiple UX approaches will coexist as the category evolves.