The Halliday Gen 2 smart glasses are being introduced as a specialized, camera-less device primarily designed to enhance professional work meetings. A notable improvement is their enhanced comfort, ensuring no strain or discomfort for the user's eyes.
My initial encounter with Halliday’s first-generation smart glasses at CES 2025 left me unimpressed. The original design featured a tiny, difficult-to-view movable display window embedded in the frame, which proved incredibly finicky and caused significant eye strain after just a 30-minute demonstration. While the concept was intriguing, its execution fell short, especially when compared to other smart glasses showcased at the event. Consequently, I approached Halliday’s recent claim that its second attempt was "much better" with considerable skepticism.
Having now experienced the Halliday Gen 2, I can confidently report a substantial improvement. The problematic "secret display window" has been replaced by more conventional yet discreet waveguides. While not entirely invisible like some competitor screens—a reflection can still be spotted if angled precisely—they offer significantly clearer visibility. Furthermore, unlike the single-lens display of its predecessor, the Gen 2 features a display for each eye, providing a much larger and more immersive viewing area. Technical specifications for the Gen 2's displays include monochrome green visuals, a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits, and a resolution of 600 by 300 pixels per eye.
In terms of design, the Gen 2 presents an understated aesthetic and feels remarkably lightweight compared to other display-equipped glasses I've tested. The display maintained excellent visibility even in a dimly lit bar, though its performance in direct sunlight remains untested. The integrated four-microphone array effectively captured voice commands despite ambient noise. Halliday also states the glasses offer approximately 12 hours of typical use, a longevity partly attributed to the deliberate exclusion of a camera. This design choice prioritizes both user privacy and extended battery life, reinforcing its intended role as a dedicated tool for work-related interactions.
A key innovation with the Gen 2 is the "Meeting Flow" feature, designed to help users effortlessly follow conversations. Utilizing AI, it surfaces relevant context or facts without requiring a glance at a laptop or phone—a capability I've observed with varying, often limited, success in other smart glasses. More compelling are the "Thread Tracker," "Decision Confirmation," and "Commitment Check" features. These aim to provide real-time updates on meeting decisions, identify follow-up items, and visualize the overall conversation flow. For instance, Thread Tracker could illustrate a team meeting's progression from budget allocations to discussions about potential new hires and their timelines. Decision Confirmation might confirm that all new hires are to be finalized by a specific date. Lastly, Commitment Check verifies if action items have been assigned, to whom, and with clear deadlines. The glasses will also generate comprehensive post-meeting transcripts and summaries.
During my demo, I caught a brief glimpse of these features in action, though a product interview setting is less ideal for showcasing their full potential than a typical planning meeting. Beyond these specialized functions, the glasses also support more general AI capabilities, including real-time captioning, translation for over 45 languages, the ability to handle phone calls, and serve as a teleprompter or notecard system for public speaking. Users can further leverage the Halliday AI assistant for intuitive voice control.
Overall, the Gen 2 represents a significantly more focused and refined vision for smart glasses compared to Halliday’s initial offering. However, the true utility of its advanced AI features remains to be thoroughly evaluated. My past experiences with AI wearables have often involved challenges in accurately intuiting my needs in a conversation or deriving correct conclusions for action items. Priced at $599, the Gen 2 carries a substantial cost for the average consumer, not including potential additional expenses for prescription lenses. Halliday confidently asserts its ability to accommodate complex prescriptions, including my own, which involves -10 in one eye, -8.75 in the other, and significant astigmatism; this claim awaits verification.
The Halliday Gen 2 is currently available for preorder, requiring a $10 deposit that also secures a $100 discount off the final price. Shipping for the glasses is anticipated to begin in September.
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