
How Smart Glasses Will Take Us Beyond Clark Kent
Editor's note: Our offices and the markets are closed tomorrow ahead of Independence Day, so our next issue of DailyWealth will publish on Monday, after the Weekend Edition. Enjoy the holiday!
Clark Kent didn't just hide behind his glasses – he also concealed his powers.
With glasses on, he was mild-mannered and limited by human perception.
But with glasses off?
He became Superman – able to see through walls and across massive distances... attuned to threats invisible to others.
Today, we're on the verge of that same kind of transformation. One technology is about to give ordinary people extraordinary capabilities.
But here's the twist. Unlike the comics, you won't need to take the glasses off to boast superhuman vision...
You'll put them on.
And when you do, your ability to perceive, decide, and act will make your experience of the world and technology better – and more seamless – than ever before.
The Reverse Clark Kent Effect
Clark Kent might have used glasses to hide his superpowers... But modern smart glasses will do the opposite. They'll grant us special abilities – while the wearer looks completely normal.
Imagine walking into a negotiation and having...
- A full background dossier on everyone in the room
- Real-time psychological reads of facial expressions
- Live translations of foreign languages
- Perfect recall of every document, e-mail, and meeting note
- And even stock information updating in real time
Your colleagues will only see a regular pair of glasses... while you see everything.
As more people get this kind of information in front of their eyes, you'll want to make sure you've got it too.
This isn't science fiction. This technology is here now. And it's about to explode in popularity.
Early Adopters Are Preparing for a Demand Boost
Small, private companies like Even Realities and INMO are already in the market. Their augmented-reality glasses can overlay insights directly into your field of vision.
And we've seen major companies invest more in this tech – with big news in the past several weeks alone...
First, Meta Platforms (META) just expanded its partnership with European eyewear company EssilorLuxottica (EL.PA). Together, they're creating the new Oakley smart glasses. Their existing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have sold more than 2 million units since launching.
Second, Alphabet (GOOGL) – whose previous Google Glass product flopped more than 10 years ago – gave a demo of its upcoming Android XR glasses at a conference on May 20. Along with a camera, microphone, and speakers, the glasses will include an optional augmented-reality display... which can show you text messages, live directions to nearby restaurants, and more.
Alphabet also announced partnerships with Warby Parker (WRBY) and other eyewear makers. So AI and augmented reality will be rolled into brands that consumers already know and love.
Finally, tech leader Xiaomi (1810.HK) recently launched its smart glasses in China. They feature a 12-megapixel camera to take first-person photos and videos... and an advanced AR1 chip from Qualcomm (QCOM) to run AI tasks like translation. And they double the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses' battery life.
Demand for these products is about to explode...
Global smart-glasses shipments surged 210% in 2024. And they're projected to grow at a 60% compound annual growth rate through 2029 – putting growth firmly on an exponential curve.
Smartphones Versus Smart Glasses
With smartphones, you have to look away from your environment to access information. You're limited to a single 6.5-inch screen.
Smart glasses will eliminate that friction.
They overlay information onto reality, rather than separating you from it. AI can whisper insights into your ears, draw attention to invisible threats, and even highlight emotional microexpressions – without you taking your eyes off what's in front of you.
The true impact of smart glasses isn't just convenience. What these devices give us is a better way of thinking...
You won't just see better. You'll think better. You'll remember more... decide faster... and spot patterns you'd have missed before.
And unlike phones, which slow us down and separate us from reality, smart glasses will speed us up and connect us more deeply into the world around us.
This shift isn't optional. It's inevitable. Not because it's cool – but because the math demands it.
Clark Kent's glasses symbolized the line between ordinary and extraordinary. In our world, that line is about to become real... and wearable.
Anyone will be able to put on glasses and become a higher version of themselves. And the people who do will outperform those who don't.
The question isn't whether this transformation will happen. It's whether you'll recognize it in time to benefit.
Will you be Superman... or a bystander squinting at the past?
As I always say, you're either early... or you're obsolete.
Good investing,
Josh Baylin
Further Reading
"The winner of the new arms race will be whoever can act without being noticed... in a world where everything is noticed," Josh writes. Virtually nothing is secret from AI anymore. And the companies focusing on "cognitive stealth" are about to run the modern world.
"Investors who catch tech cycles at the right time can make massive returns," Joe Austin says. AI is set to disrupt our lives just like the PC and Internet did three decades ago. And the key to capitalizing on this trend is by not just finding the big winners... but also avoiding the big losers.