IndustryNovember 1, 2026Lensden Editorial

AR & AI Glasses Weekly: Halo Launches, Raven Prism Opens Pre-orders, SABERA Expands Retail

Brilliant Labs launches Halo at $399, Raven Prism opens pre-orders, and Japan's SABERA expands into carrier retail. Plus, new Android XR development and medical research.

Lensden Weekly · AR / AI / Smart Glasses

October 27 – November 2, 2026

The AR and AI glasses industry made progress on several fronts this week, with open platforms moving closer to commercial availability, new retail channels emerging in Japan, and Android XR attracting professional content developers.

Brilliant Labs officially launched its Halo smart glasses at $399. Raven Resonance opened pre-orders for its Linux-powered Prism wearable computer, while Japanese smart glasses maker SABERA expanded into mainstream retail and announced a partnership with Rakuten Mobile.

Meanwhile, MyDearest introduced professional development services for XREAL AURA, and XREAL disclosed a new medical research application involving endoscopic surgery.

These announcements do not represent a fundamental technological breakthrough. Instead, they highlight a broader shift toward commercial availability, developer access, distribution, and practical applications.

Here are five developments worth following.

01 | Brilliant Labs Halo Launches at $399, Bringing Open-Source AI Glasses to Market

October 27, 2026 · AI Glasses · Open Platforms

Brilliant Labs has officially launched Halo, its open-source AI smart glasses, with a current retail price of $399.

Halo was originally announced in 2025, when the company outlined a lower introductory price of $299. This week's announcement is therefore not a first reveal of the hardware.

The important development is its transition into commercial sales, accompanied by more detailed information about its AI assistant, subscription plans, and software experiences.

Brilliant Labs describes Halo as a privacy-focused wearable platform built around personalized AI and developer customization.

Halo specifications

According to the manufacturer's published specifications, Halo includes:

Display: Color Micro-OLED
Weight: Just over 40 grams
Battery life: Up to approximately 14 hours under manufacturer-defined conditions
Processor: Alif B1 with Arm Cortex-M55 CPU and neural processing capabilities
Vision: Low-power optical sensor
Audio: Two microphones and two bone-conduction speakers
Motion sensing: Six-axis IMU
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
Software: Zephyr-based platform with developer interfaces
Development: Brilliant SDK and published open-source resources
Current hardware price: US$399

These figures are manufacturer-reported and should not be treated as independent performance measurements.

In particular, the advertised battery life does not establish how long Halo will operate during continuous AI processing, visual sensing, or intensive display use.

How much does Noa AI cost?

Halo's AI experience centers on Noa, a personal assistant designed to support conversational interaction, contextual memory, and customizable experiences.

The advertised service structure includes:

Noa Free: Basic AI functionality and memory features with daily usage limits
Noa Plus: US$9.99 per month for enhanced conversational and personalized capabilities
Noa Pro: US$39.99 per month for higher usage allowances and expanded memory features

This introduces an important distinction between the price of the hardware and the cost of using its more advanced services over time.

A buyer paying $399 for Halo should not assume that every AI capability is available without limits or recurring charges.

As AI glasses become increasingly dependent on software services, subscription pricing could become just as relevant as battery life or display specifications when comparing devices.

An open platform with a new gaming concept

Brilliant Labs is positioning Halo as more than a conventional voice assistant.

The company has introduced Miniapps, a concept that allows users to describe small applications in natural language and create or share customized experiences.

It has also announced Narrative, an adaptive gaming concept designed around the player's real-world activities and interactions.

These ideas could make wearable computing more accessible to people without traditional development experience.

However, the reliability of automatically generated Miniapps, the availability of Narrative, and the maturity of the broader application ecosystem still require independent verification.

An announced experience is not necessarily a fully available, extensively tested product feature.

What about privacy?

Privacy is a central part of Brilliant Labs' marketing.

The company emphasizes local processing and a design intended to minimize unnecessary retention of visual information.

However, Halo should not be described as a completely offline or fully on-device AI system.

Its broader AI experience involves connected software and cloud-based services. The company's privacy policy also describes how personal data and memory-related information may be processed or retained.

Users should distinguish local processing of particular sensor inputs from the processing required to deliver the complete conversational AI experience.

Lensden Insight

Halo is interesting because it combines commercial hardware, publicly available developer resources, an AI subscription business model, and user-created applications.

Its open architecture could provide developers with greater flexibility than tightly controlled wearable platforms.

Nevertheless, the real test is still ahead.

Hardware availability does not automatically establish a thriving developer ecosystem, reliable daily AI performance, or widespread consumer adoption.

Halo now has a clearer commercial identity. Whether that translates into a sustainable platform remains an open question.

Source: Brilliant Labs Official Product Page

Source: Brilliant Labs Launch Announcement

Source: Brilliant Labs Privacy Policy

02 | Raven Prism Opens Pre-orders for a Standalone Linux AR Computer

October 29, 2026 · AR Glasses · Developer Ecosystem

Raven Resonance has officially opened pre-orders for Raven Prism 1, a standalone AR computing platform built around a custom Linux-based operating system.

The product was previously demonstrated at AWE 2026.

Its latest announcement moves the project beyond public demonstrations and into a structured commercial reservation program.

Customers can now reserve a place in a future manufacturing batch with a fully refundable $49 deposit.

The device itself is currently listed at $1,499.

Importantly, the deposit is not the purchase price of the glasses.

Key hardware specifications

Raven Prism combines a compact computing platform with a monocular transparent display.

Published specifications include:

Display: Full-color LCoS
Optics: Diffractive optical waveguide
Display configuration: Monocular, right-eye display
Field of view: 30° diagonal
Operating system: RavenOS, based on Linux
Processor: Quad-core 64-bit ARM
Memory: Up to 4GB RAM
Storage: 32GB or more
Camera: 13MP with an 84° horizontal field of view
Audio: Four microphones and two speakers
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5
Interaction: Eye control and voice
Power: Raven Wings hot-swappable batteries
Developer access: Linux, SSH, native ARM64 applications, and Raven SDK

The developer documentation also advertises display brightness exceeding 1,500 nits.

However, the publicly available specification does not clearly establish whether that figure represents eye brightness or another display measurement.

It should therefore not be directly compared with eye-brightness claims from other AR glasses.

When will Raven Prism ship?

Raven says its earliest devices are expected to begin shipping in January 2027.

But the company's reservation page separates production into different batches:

Batch 1: January 2027, full
Batch 2: Early 2027, full
Batch 3: Spring 2027, nearly full and associated with early supporters
Batch 4: Summer 2027, currently accepting general reservations

This distinction matters for prospective buyers.

Reserving Raven Prism today does not mean receiving a device in January.

The earliest shipping window applies to earlier customers, while the currently advertised general-release batch is scheduled for summer 2027.

The official reservation page currently identifies the United States as its initial shipping market, with European Union availability planned for later.

All delivery dates remain estimates until devices have actually shipped.

Why Linux matters

Raven Prism takes a different approach from smart glasses designed primarily as accessories for smartphones.

RavenOS is intended to provide a standalone computing environment, allowing developers to run native ARM64 software and interact with the hardware more directly.

The company advertises support for:

SSH access and Linux development tools
Python-based Raven Framework applications
Eye-controlled user interfaces
Camera, microphone, and motion sensor access
Custom software running on the device
Future hardware extensions through Raven Wings

The Raven SDK is already presented as available, while the Raven Hardware Development Kit remains a future offering.

An application distribution system with permissions and entitlement controls is also part of the roadmap.

This creates an important distinction: access for developers does not necessarily mean unrestricted sensor access for every application distributed to consumers.

Privacy by hardware design

Raven places particular emphasis on physical privacy controls.

The company describes a manually operated camera cover, visible camera-use indicators, and local processing for selected features, including eye control.

These design choices may help users understand when sensors are active.

However, their actual security properties and reliability still need independent testing.

Lensden Insight

Raven Prism represents an alternative vision for wearable computing: a programmable Linux computer in an eyewear form factor.

That approach may appeal to developers who want control over software, hardware interfaces, and application behavior.

But openness creates responsibilities as well as opportunities.

Raven will need to demonstrate stable software updates, practical battery performance, appropriate permissions, and a sustainable developer ecosystem.

For now, Prism is a technically ambitious product with an active reservation program, not a commercially proven mass-market platform.

Source: Raven Prism Official Reservation Page

Source: Raven Developer Documentation

Source: Raven Official Announcement

03 | Japan's SABERA Expands into General Retail and Rakuten Mobile Stores

October 27–29, 2026 · Smart Glasses · Retail Expansion

Japanese technology company jig.jp has begun general retail sales of SABERA, a lightweight smart glasses product developed with support from eyewear and AR optics partners.

General sales began on October 27, following earlier crowdfunding and advance-sales activity.

Two days later, the company announced a partnership with Rakuten Mobile to introduce dedicated demonstration and sales areas in five mobile carrier stores.

The developments mark a transition from limited early distribution toward more conventional consumer retail channels.

What is SABERA?

SABERA is designed to resemble everyday eyewear while presenting useful information within the wearer's field of view.

Key characteristics include:

Optics: Cellid waveguide technology
Weight: Approximately 38 grams
Features: Translation, notifications, navigation, teleprompter functions, and AI assistance
Prescription support: Available
Japanese retail price: ¥92,400 including tax
General retail sales: Began October 27, 2026

The product operates alongside a smartphone rather than functioning as a completely independent computing platform.

Its development combines jig.jp's software capabilities with optical technology and traditional Japanese eyewear expertise.

A new distribution experiment

The Rakuten Mobile partnership introduces a different way for consumers to discover smart glasses.

Instead of purchasing solely through an electronics website or specialized eyewear store, customers will be able to try SABERA in selected mobile carrier shops.

The announced rollout includes five locations.

Two Tokyo stores are scheduled to begin demonstrations on November 4, while three additional locations in Osaka, Fukuoka, and Fukui are expected to follow from December onward.

These are planned opening dates, not confirmation that every location is already operating.

The stores are expected to provide hands-on demonstrations and opportunities to purchase the product.

Why retail experience matters

Smart glasses are unusually dependent on physical fit.

A consumer may want to verify display visibility, comfort, frame size, optical alignment, and compatibility with prescription lenses before buying.

These considerations are harder to evaluate from a specification sheet alone.

A physical demonstration can help consumers understand what the product actually does and whether it meets their needs.

Mobile carrier stores may also benefit from existing customer relationships and experience selling connected devices.

Lensden Insight

SABERA demonstrates that smart glasses distribution is moving beyond the traditional technology-company direct-sales model.

Japan is becoming a useful market to observe how electronics retailers, optical specialists, and mobile carriers approach wearable computing.

However, five participating stores represent a limited rollout.

There is not yet sufficient evidence to conclude that carrier-store distribution will significantly increase smart glasses adoption.

The next useful data will be actual customer engagement, sales conversion, and store expansion.

Source: jig.jp General Sales Announcement

Source: jig.jp Rakuten Mobile Partnership Announcement

04 | MyDearest Launches XREAL AURA Development Services as Android XR Ecosystem Grows

October 29, 2026 · Android XR · Developer Ecosystem

Japanese XR game developer MyDearest has announced professional content development services for XREAL AURA, extending its work beyond individual game production into broader business and enterprise applications.

The company is participating in Google's Android XR Developer Catalyst program and has been working on a version of its VR mystery adventure Tokyo Chronos for XREAL AURA.

Tokyo Chronos for Android XR is scheduled for release in mid-November through Google Play.

The adapted experience is expected to support hand tracking, allowing users to interact without traditional handheld controllers.

Alongside the game, MyDearest is offering businesses services that include content planning, prototyping, porting existing VR experiences, Android XR application development, and post-launch support.

Why this matters

A new hardware platform needs more than an operating system and developer documentation.

It also needs experienced studios capable of adapting existing content and building new applications for its interaction model.

MyDearest's announcement suggests that professional XR development services are beginning to form around XREAL AURA.

This is a positive sign for ecosystem development, but it does not establish that enterprise demand or Android XR application revenue has already reached meaningful scale.

Lensden Insight

Android XR's opportunity extends beyond consumers downloading existing Android applications.

Its long-term value could depend on developers creating experiences that take advantage of spatial interfaces, hand tracking, and wearable interaction.

MyDearest's announcement is one practical example of this transition.

Whether it leads to a broader developer economy will depend on hardware adoption, application quality, and commercial demand.

Source: MyDearest Official Newsroom

Source: MyDearest Development Services Announcement

Source: Tokyo Chronos for XREAL AURA Announcement

05 | XREAL Glasses Enter Endoscopic Surgery Display Research in Japan

October 28, 2026 · AR Applications · Medical Research

XREAL announced that researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have adopted its AR glasses for an experimental endoscopic surgery information-display system.

The project involves XREAL One Pro glasses and related hardware, alongside medical video infrastructure and specialized image-processing technology.

Its objective is to present surgical video and other relevant information within the operator's field of view.

By reducing the need to look away toward external monitors, such a system could potentially improve workflow efficiency.

However, this remains a research and demonstration project.

The announcement does not establish that the system has received regulatory approval as a medical device, improved patient outcomes, or entered routine clinical use.

Lensden Insight

Medical visualization remains a potentially valuable application for lightweight displays.

But there is a substantial difference between demonstrating a useful interface and validating a medical system for clinical deployment.

Future evidence will need to address display reliability, image quality, workflow effects, user safety, and any applicable regulatory requirements.

Source: XREAL Medical Research Announcement

Industry Watch | Four Trends Emerging This Week

Open platforms are becoming more tangible

Halo's commercial launch and Raven Prism's reservation program give developers clearer potential access to hardware outside the largest proprietary smart glasses ecosystems.

That does not mean open platforms have gained a measurable market advantage.

Their competitiveness will depend on software quality, security, developer participation, and the actual number of devices in use.

Hardware price is only part of the cost

Halo's subscription structure demonstrates the importance of recurring AI service expenses.

Two devices with similar hardware prices may have very different long-term costs if one requires a subscription for advanced conversational features.

Free usage allowances, cloud dependencies, software support, and regional functionality should become standard considerations in future smart glasses comparisons.

Distribution and fitting remain important

SABERA's retail expansion reinforces a basic reality: smart glasses are both wearable electronics and eyewear.

Consumers may need to try devices in person before deciding whether their display, fit, and prescription options are suitable.

Retail infrastructure could become a meaningful competitive advantage, although evidence of its impact remains limited.

Privacy is increasingly a design differentiator

Halo and Raven both present privacy as a core part of their identity.

Their approaches include local processing claims, open development resources, and physical hardware safeguards.

However, privacy should be evaluated through documented data flows, permissions, retention practices, and independently tested protections—not marketing claims alone.

Market and Regulation Update

No newly confirmed global smart glasses shipment report was identified for the October 27–November 2 reporting period that would justify updating industry market-share rankings.

The week's commercial information mainly concerns individual product prices, reservation status, and retail expansion.

Halo's $399 price, Raven Prism's $1,499 listed device price, and SABERA's ¥92,400 Japanese retail price are useful consumer data points, but they do not indicate relative market share.

Likewise, no major new smart glasses-specific regulatory decision was confirmed during the reporting period.

Previously announced proposals and restrictions should not be counted as new laws or enforcement actions unless their legal status has actually changed.

Overall, the competitive landscape is becoming more diverse, but there is insufficient evidence of a significant shift in global market leadership.

What to Watch Next

November 4 | Snap Q3 2026 Earnings

Snap is scheduled to discuss its third-quarter financial results on November 4.

For the smart glasses industry, the key questions concern Specs commercialization, delivery plans, developer activity, and hardware investment.

Unless Snap separately reports Specs revenue or shipments, its broader financial results should not be used to estimate glasses sales.

Source: Snap Investor Relations

November 4 | SABERA's First Rakuten Mobile Demonstrations

Two Tokyo stores are scheduled to introduce SABERA demonstration areas.

The next step is to confirm that the locations opened as planned and whether customers can both try and purchase the device.

Mid-November | XREAL AURA Shipping and Android XR Content

XREAL AURA shipments are expected to begin in mid-November in some launch markets, while Japan has announced a later domestic delivery schedule.

Actual delivery dates and availability should be tracked separately by region.

MyDearest's Tokyo Chronos for Android XR is also expected to launch in mid-November.

Its release will provide another opportunity to evaluate real applications designed for XREAL AURA.

Source: Google — XREAL AURA Launch

Early 2027 | Raven Prism Deliveries

Raven Prism's first production batches are expected to ship in 2027.

Important milestones include final hardware specifications, actual customer deliveries, software readiness, and real-world battery performance.

The current general reservation batch has a later shipping window than the earliest announced deliveries.

Lensden's Take | Open Smart Glasses Move Closer to the Market

The biggest story this week is not a new display breakthrough, a revolutionary processor, or a sudden change in market share.

It is the increasing number of ways smart glasses are being brought to market.

Brilliant Labs is combining open-source development with consumer AI subscriptions.

Raven Resonance is pursuing a standalone Linux computing platform with modular hardware and extensive developer access.

SABERA is experimenting with mainstream retail distribution and in-person demonstrations.

Meanwhile, MyDearest is building commercial services around Android XR, and XREAL is exploring specialized applications in medical research.

Each development addresses a different obstacle to adoption.

Together, they suggest that the industry is gradually moving from demonstrating what wearable computers could do toward testing how they can be sold, developed for, supported, and used in practice.

Still, announced capabilities, reservations, and partnerships are not the same as delivered products, sustainable ecosystems, or proven customer demand.

The next phase of competition will be measured less by ambitious claims and more by reliable execution.

Which matters most for the future of smart glasses: open development, affordable AI, better retail access, or stronger privacy protection?

Join the discussion on Lensden.

Sources & Editorial Notes

This edition covers developments from October 27 through November 2, 2026.

Product specifications, prices, shipping estimates, subscription terms, and software capabilities are based primarily on publicly available manufacturer announcements and official documentation. Availability may differ by region.

Company announcements should not be interpreted as independent verification of product performance, manufacturing scale, customer deliveries, privacy protections, or commercial success.

Lensden — Explore the Future of Smart Glasses.