We only need to examine Amazon’s imperfect initial endeavors with Echo Frames to understand how it must approach “Jayhawk” differently.
With Meta Connect 2025 poised to reveal new “Hypernova” AR glasses featuring a right-eye display, it’s intriguing that Amazon’s monocular ‘Jayhawk’ AR glasses were leaked this week as well. Amazon will face direct competition from Meta for its AR glasses to find success, but it must improve upon its Echo Frames to truly compete.
As reported by The Information, Amazon has two prototypes under development. “Jayhawk” is expected to include “microphones, speakers, a camera, and a full-color display in one eye.” For Amazon’s delivery personnel, “Amelia” will supposedly utilize dual screens to “assist drivers in sorting and delivering packages.”
Amazon’s consumer AR glasses are anticipated to launch in “late 2026 or early 2027,” with a current pricing target of “approximately $800.”
Amazon’s hardware brand emphasizes value. It offers a $400 Echo Show 21 and Kindle Scribe — and a $1,600 robot — yet most of its “premium” offerings peak around $200; it has established a reputation for affordable quality, leveraging that foundation to upsell customers into the low-to-mid-range.
I grasp why, operationally, Amazon would set a price of $800 for AR glasses and why it wants to enter the smart glasses market. However, it faces a significant challenge in persuading consumers to invest that much in Amazon Glasses, for three reasons.
Amazon’s affordability works against it
Typically, an Amazon Echo speaker or display ranges from $50 to $200, and Amazon frequently discounts its prices, from Prime Day to holidays. It creates the expectation that Alexa is a budget-friendly, everyday companion for weather updates and package alerts.
Will Amazon’s bargain-hunting customers spend $800 on glasses from a brand known for value? It seems unlikely.
Reportedly, Meta’s Hypernova glasses will be priced at $800, but sources indicate their initial cost was significantly higher before Meta adjusted its profit margins to enhance their attractiveness. Meta has generated goodwill with its current $300 Ray-Ban AI glasses and $400 Oakleys, yet they understand the need to keep prices reasonable to avoid deterring potential buyers.
Amazon cannot prioritize a low price here either: acquiring lightweight AR glasses with all-day battery life and a bright, high-resolution display is costly! Anything below $800 would likely yield a substandard design that consumers would reject; I’m pleased Amazon recognizes not to pursue that route.
To motivate cost-conscious customers to invest smartphone-level amounts, Amazon must alter the perception of Amazon Glasses as desirable, a shift it failed to achieve with Echo Frames.
Step 1: Revamp or promote Alexa Plus
Amazon introduced Alexa Plus earlier this year, enhancing its intelligence and language capabilities with a Large Language Model (LLM) and AI “experts” on specialized subjects akin to Gemini’s Gems. Alexa Plus interacts with various streaming apps and smart home devices, echoing Gemini Extensions.
The challenge is that Alexa remains confined to home use, with limited input beyond what users provide. Gemini offers a more integrated experience with other apps and is easier to utilize anywhere on your phone.
Amazon clearly aims to address this with smart glasses; integrated cameras could deliver multimodal AI insights, similar to how Meta AI can interpret surroundings, and the forthcoming Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) is expected to remember what you see.
However, Alexa’s reputation for basic web searches and Amazon cart suggestions is a hurdle.
Amazon must persuade users that the intelligence of Alexa+ is compelling enough to warrant wearing it throughout the day. To achieve this, Amazon needs to develop features like live translation and multimodal AI that will liberate Alexa and adapt her for outdoor use. A comprehensive advertising campaign will be essential to inform users that Alexa can compete effectively with rivals.
Step 2: Amazon requires a design collaborator
Meta acquired a 3% share in EssilorLuxottica — the manufacturer of Ray-Ban and Oakley eyewear — for approximately $3.5 billion, symbolizing their commitment to a smart glasses partnership.
It markets Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses, highlighting the fashion brand before Meta’s branding, recognizing that most consumers prefer fashionable eyewear with integrated technology over purely tech-centric glasses.
Similarly, Google has invested $150 million in Warby Parker for “product development and commercialization,” as part of a collaboration to create Android XR glasses utilizing WP designs. It has also invested $100 million for a 4% stake in Gentle Monster for future smart eyewear.
Meta and Google realize that smart glasses must resemble “normal” eyewear as closely as possible, ensuring a good fit for various face shapes and styles to cater to diverse preferences, in order to sell enough smart glasses to achieve profitability.
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