# Even Realities

> Source: https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/even_realities
> Updated: 2026-08-01
> Categories: AI Companies, AI Hardware
> License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
> From AI Wiki (https://aiwiki.ai), the free encyclopedia of artificial intelligence. Reuse freely with attribution to "AI Wiki (aiwiki.ai)".

Even Realities is a smart-glasses company founded in 2023 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, that sells display-equipped eyewear with no camera and no speaker. Its two glasses products are the Even G1, launched in 2024 at $599 and since cut to $499, and the Even G2, launched on 12 November 2025 at $599, both of which put a monochrome green micro LED image into a pair of [waveguide](/wiki/waveguide_display) lenses set in frames that look like ordinary prescription glasses [1][2][3][22]. The company raised a $150 million pre-Series B round led by [Meituan](/wiki/meituan), with existing backer [Tencent](/wiki/tencent) participating, at a $1 billion valuation on 6 July 2026 [2][4]. In its Q1 2026 shipments release, Counterpoint Research put Even Realities at a 9% share of the waveguide-based [AR glasses](/wiki/ai_glasses) segment, behind Rokid and Meta [5]. Its position is unusual: a Shenzhen company whose products are sold almost entirely outside China [2].

## Company

Even Realities was started in 2023 by former [Apple](/wiki/apple) engineers. Founder and chief executive Will Wang worked on the Apple Watch and the iPhone; two other co-founders came from luxury eyewear companies, including the Danish frame maker Lindberg [2]. Staff grew from 30 to 40 people in 2024 to between 300 and 400 by July 2026 [2]. The company says an ophthalmology team led by Qu Jia, a former president of Wenzhou Medical University, worked with its engineers on the optics and lens design [6].

The company's Western-facing marketing does not foreground its nationality, and its own About page names no headquarters city [6]. The corporate location is nonetheless established in first-party material: the boilerplate on Even Realities' own press releases describes it as "a Shenzhen-based technology company building AI-powered smart glasses," and the releases carry a Shenzhen dateline [7]. TechCrunch describes it as a "Shenzhen-headquartered startup" and Road to VR as "the China-based smart glasses company" [2][4]. Wang told TechCrunch that the company manufactures in China across several factories but does not yet sell there [2].

| Round | Date | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series A | not disclosed | $9M | CDH Investments, Cyanhill Capital, China Growth Capital [4] |
| Pre-Series B | announced 2026-07-06 | $150M at a $1B valuation | led by Meituan, with existing backer Tencent [2][4] |
| Total raised | as of 2026-07 | $159M | earlier backers include HSG, formerly Sequoia China [2][4] |

The $150 million round is reported in US dollars by both outlets; at the 31 July 2026 European Central Bank reference rate of 6.7513 yuan to the dollar it is about 1.01 billion yuan [8]. Wang has said the company is profitable and that most of its customers are male professionals aged 30 to 50, about a third of them company executives, all company-supplied figures that no outside party has checked [2].

## Products

The G1 shipped in 2024. Wang has described it as the lightest waveguide smart glasses on the market at the time; TechCrunch reported the superlative as his rather than as a verified measurement [2]. He also told TechCrunch that Even Realities beat its own 10,000-unit target and was "the first company in the category to sell more than 10,000 pairs," a CEO statement about a narrowly drawn category rather than an audited figure [2].

The G2 was announced and put on sale the same day, 12 November 2025, at $599 [3]. It remains the flagship; the G1 is still listed and in stock at $499 as of 2 August 2026, below the $599 the company's own G1 page showed in 2024 when the glasses were first taken for pre-order [9][10][22]. Prescription lenses start at $159 on top of the frame price [9]. Alongside the G2, Even Realities introduced the R1, a ceramic and stainless steel control ring that also tracks heart rate, sleep and steps, priced at $249 [3][11][14]. Wang told TechCrunch that lenses or the ring push the average order to roughly $1,000 [2].

| Specification | Even G1 | Even G2 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 2024, $599 at launch, $499 now [2][22][10] | 2025-11-12, $599 [3][9] |
| Weight | not listed on the vendor spec page [13] | 36 g (vendor and Trusted Reviews) [1][12] |
| Frame materials | magnesium, titanium temple tips [13] | magnesium frame, titanium temples [1] |
| Display | micro LED, monochrome green, binocular waveguide [13] | micro LED, monochrome green, binocular waveguide [1] |
| Resolution | 640 x 200 [13] | 640 x 350 [1] |
| Field of view | 25 degrees [13] | 27.5 degrees [1] |
| Refresh rate | 20 Hz [13] | 60 Hz [1] |
| Brightness | 1,000 nits [13] | 1,200 nits [1] |
| Lens passthrough | 98% [13] | 98% [1] |
| Microphones | two [13] | four [1] |
| Bluetooth | BLE 5.2 [13] | BLE 5.4 [1] |
| Battery, vendor claim | up to 1.5 days; case holds 2.5 charges [13] | up to 2 days; case holds 7 charges [1] |
| Ingress protection | splash and light rain [13] | IP65 [1] |
| Prescription range | supported [13] | -12.00 to +12.00 dioptres [1] |
| Camera or speaker | neither [4][14] | neither [1][14] |

TechCrunch reported the G2's display area as 75% larger than the G1's and gave the frame weight as 35 grams rather than the vendor's 36 [14]. Trusted Reviews' specification box lists the G2 as IP54 where Even Realities' own page says IP65, and gives the battery as 192 mAh, a figure the company does not publish [12][1].

## Display and optics

Even Realities calls its optical stack Even HAO, for Holistic Adaptive Optics, and describes it as an in-house design in which the projector, waveguide and prescription lens are engineered together rather than sourced separately [2][15]. In the company's own description, a projector injects an image into a clear waveguide that traps the light by total internal reflection, and gratings inside the waveguide redirect it towards the eye; the G2 uses what Even calls a graded grating to spread light more evenly [15]. The company says the G2 projector is 40% smaller than the G1's and that the lens centre is 30% thinner [15]. At launch, 9to5Google reported the G2 optics as "Even HAO 2.0" and described a layered or "spatial" display in which notifications and prompts sit on a nearer plane than navigation [3].

Neither generation carries an application processor of the kind found in camera-equipped AI glasses, such as [Qualcomm](/wiki/qualcomm)'s [Snapdragon AR1](/wiki/snapdragon_ar1) platform; neither vendor spec table lists a processor at all [1][13]. Trusted Reviews found that the glasses handle nothing on-device and depend on a Bluetooth link to a phone running the Even Realities app, and TechCrunch likewise reported that their functionality relies heavily on that phone connection [12][14]. Trusted Reviews credited the unusually slim frames mainly to the missing cameras and speakers [12].

## No camera, by design

The absence of a camera is a product decision, not a marketing line: there is no imaging sensor on either generation, and no speaker either, so the glasses cannot capture photos or video and cannot play audio [14][4]. Wang told TechCrunch that removing the camera is part of the company's privacy position but not all of it, that voice features such as translation transcribe audio to text rather than storing recordings, and that user data is encrypted and the infrastructure built to meet European privacy requirements [2]. Even Realities' own product page states that no data is stored in the cloud without explicit consent [1]. These are company claims; no independent audit of them has been published.

The trade-offs are real and reviewers noted them. TechCrunch's Ivan Mehta wrote that the design means "the people around you don't have to worry about being filmed," and endorsed the direction, while observing that outside jobs requiring constant translation or teleprompting it is hard to find an everyday use case [14]. Trusted Reviews put the trade-off in buying terms, concluding that a reader who wants to scroll Instagram or run full applications would be better served by the [Meta Ray-Ban Display](/wiki/meta_ray_ban_display), while 9to5Google's Andrew Romero framed the monochrome text display as a deliberate simplicity that will divide buyers rather than a shortfall [12][16]. The approach places the company on one side of the wider [smart glasses privacy](/wiki/smart_glasses_privacy) argument, where the bystander problem is specifically a camera problem.

## Software and the assistant

The G2's on-glasses features are Conversate, Teleprompt, Translate, Navigate, a notification and calendar dashboard, and QuickList, a spoken to-do list [1]. Conversate transcribes a conversation live in the wearer's field of view, surfaces short context cards for unfamiliar terms, and syncs a summary to the phone app [1][14]. Translate covers 35 languages [1].

The assistant is called Even AI. Even Realities' own FAQ says it "runs on Even AI, powered by our proprietary EvenLLM" [1]. That description is not the whole picture: the G1 product page still advertises "in-built ChatGPT," and 9to5Google, reviewing the G2 after time with the company, described Even AI as a hybrid that routes queries in part to [Gemini](/wiki/gemini), [ChatGPT](/wiki/chatgpt) and [Perplexity](/wiki/perplexity) [13][16]. Even Realities has not published which [large language models](/wiki/large_language_model) sit behind the assistant or in what proportion.

Two software milestones were announced on 26 March 2026. Prep Notes, which lets a user upload documents before a meeting so the glasses can surface points and fact checks during it, shipped in the phone app that day. Even Hub, an open platform for third-party apps installable onto the glasses, did not: the release said only that it would be available "as early as next week," and Forbes reported the target as the week beginning 30 March [7][17]. Even Hub had already slipped once, since at the November 2025 launch the company said it would arrive "by the end of this year" [3]. The G1 is also a supported target of MentraOS, an open-source smart-glasses operating system, though that project's compatibility list does not name the G2 [18].

## Availability and markets

Even Realities sells direct and through optical and electronics retailers. Wang said in July 2026 that more than half of its users are in the United States, its fastest-growing market, and named the United States, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East and Europe as its main markets; the company does not sell in mainland China despite manufacturing there [2]. The company's retail page names Yodobashi and Bic Camera in Japan and three partner showrooms, in Munich, Hong Kong and Melbourne, alongside a locator for participating optometrists [19]. The site runs localised storefronts in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese and traditional and simplified Chinese for Hong Kong [1]. The company has also announced a collaboration with IO Interactive that puts the G2 into the video game 007 First Light as an in-game gadget [20].

## Market position

Counterpoint Research tracks waveguide information-display glasses as a sub-segment of [augmented reality](/wiki/augmented_reality) glasses, separate from birdbath and flat-prism video viewers and separate again from display-less smart glasses. Both baskets matter when reading its numbers, because a share of the waveguide sub-segment is not a share of the smart-glasses market.

| Period | Counterpoint finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| H2 2025 | Even Realities ranked third in the waveguide segment with 16% share, behind Rokid and Meta; waveguide devices reached 38% of AR glasses, up from 13% a year earlier | [21] |
| Q1 2026 | Rokid ranked first globally; Meta took 38%; Even Realities and Alibaba "followed as notable challengers, securing 9% and 5% market share, respectively"; waveguide devices reached 42% of AR glasses, up from 18% | [5] |

The share fell from 16% to 9% while the segment itself grew, so the company's position eroded relative to a fast-expanding field rather than in absolute terms. Counterpoint published no percentage for [Rokid](/wiki/rokid) in either release, and attributed Meta's constrained growth to low production yields on Meta Ray-Ban Display components and that product's restricted US availability [5][21]. Even Realities competes in neither of the adjacent baskets: the birdbath viewer segment led by [RayNeo](/wiki/rayneo), VITURE and [XREAL](/wiki/xreal), or the enterprise waveguide supply business of firms such as [Vuzix](/wiki/vuzix). Segment definitions differ sharply between analyst firms, a point developed in [AI glasses market](/wiki/ai_glasses_market) and [AI glasses in China](/wiki/china_ai_glasses).

## Reception

Reviews of the G2 have been positive on hardware and consistently critical of software. Trusted Reviews scored it 4 out of 5 on 22 January 2026, praising the everyday look and two-day battery while listing the price, the thin app catalogue and reliance on a stable Bluetooth link as drawbacks [12]. 9to5Google concluded that Even Realities "almost got it right," calling the operating system good but rough, and cataloguing notifications that arrive garbled or fail to dismiss across devices, ear soreness after a full day of wear, and ghosted reflections in the lenses [16]. TechCrunch found the assistant frequently failed to activate outdoors despite the four microphones, produced long unskippable answers, and that turn-by-turn navigation repeatedly resolved addresses incorrectly [14]. Multiple reviewers reported the glasses and ring disconnecting from the phone app, an issue that improved with updates but did not disappear [12][14].

Independent reviewers did not agree on whether the display is legible outdoors. Trusted Reviews wrote that with 1,200 nits maximum brightness, "I never struggled to read text, even in bright sunlight" [12]. TechCrunch found the screen "legible in most conditions" but said a bright room required adjusting brightness by hand in the phone app [14]. 9to5Google was blunter: in harsh light, "without them," meaning the optional clip-on shades, "forget about using the Even Realities G2 glasses outdoors," and noted the shades add $99 to an already expensive device [16]. Vendor material states that the G2 has automatic brightness sensors [1], which sits awkwardly with the TechCrunch account.

## References

1. "Smart Glasses with Display & Ambient AI Prompts | Even G2." Even Realities, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/smart-glasses
2. Kate Park, "Smart glasses maker Even Realities hits $1B valuation with $150M funding led by Meituan, Tencent." TechCrunch, 2026-07-06. https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/06/smart-glasses-maker-even-realities-hits-1b-valuation-with-150m-funding-led-by-meituan-tencent/
3. Andrew Romero, "Even Realities G2 smart glasses bring a 'spatial' display and R1 controller ring." 9to5Google, 2025-11-12. https://9to5google.com/2025/11/12/even-realities-launches-g2-smart-glasses-r1-control-ring/
4. Scott Hayden, "Smart Glasses Startup Even Realities Secures Unicorn Status with $150M Funding Round." Road to VR, 2026-07-06. https://www.roadtovr.com/smart-glasses-even-realities-unicorn-150m-funding/
5. "Global Intelligent Eyewear Market Up 83% YoY in Q1 2026 Driven by Strong AR, Smart Glasses Demand." Counterpoint Research, 2026-06-24. https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/intelligent-eyewear-up-yoy-driven-by-demand-q1-2026
6. "About Even Realities | Smart Glasses Innovation." Even Realities, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/company
7. "You'll Never Feel Unprepared Again: Even Realities G2 Brings Conversation Support Prep Notes to Smart Glasses." PR Newswire, 2026-03-26. https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/youll-never-feel-unprepared-again-even-realities-g2-brings-conversation-support-prep-notes-to-smart-glasses-302725633.html
8. "USD reference rate for 2026-07-31." Frankfurter (European Central Bank reference rates), retrieved 2026-08-02. https://api.frankfurter.dev/v1/2026-07-31?base=USD&symbols=CNY
9. "Even G2 A." Even Realities store, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/products/g2-a
10. "Even G1 A." Even Realities store, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/products/g1-a
11. "Even R1." Even Realities store, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/products/r1
12. Lewis Painter, "Even Realities G2 Review: Smart glasses you'd actually want to wear." Trusted Reviews, 2026-01-22. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/even-realities-g2
13. "Even G1 Smart Glasses | Everyday Eyewear with Display." Even Realities, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/g1
14. Ivan Mehta, "Smart glasses without a camera? Even Realities bets productivity beats recording everyone." TechCrunch, 2026-07-11. https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/11/smart-glasses-without-a-camera-even-realities-bets-productivity-beats-recording-everyone/
15. "Future. Only better." Even Realities technology page, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/tech
16. Andrew Romero, "Review: Even Realities G2 smart glasses add a simplistic yet engaging floating display for your face." 9to5Google, 2026-02-19. https://9to5google.com/2026/02/19/review-even-realities-g2-smart-glasses/
17. David Phelan, "Even G2: The Subtle Smart Glasses Just Got A Major Upgrade." Forbes, 2026-03-26. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2026/03/26/even-g2-the-subtle-smart-glasses-just-got-a-major-ai-upgrade/
18. "Smart Glasses Compatibility." MentraOS repository, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://github.com/Mentra-Community/MentraOS/blob/main/glasses-compatibility.md
19. "Find Even G2 at Retail Locations Worldwide." Even Realities, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/retail
20. "Even G2 enters 007 First Light." Even Realities, retrieved 2026-08-02. https://www.evenrealities.com/even-g2-x-007-first-light
21. "Global AR Smart Glasses Shipments Grow 148% YoY in H2 2025; Waveguide-based Devices Surge Over 600%." Counterpoint Research, 2026-04-09. https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/Global-AR-Smart-Glasses-Shipments-Grow-148-Percent-YoY-in-H2-2025-Waveguide-based-Devices-Surge-Over-600-Percent
22. "Even G1" product page, archived 2024-11-13 (price block reads "From $599"; the 2024-08-06 snapshot shows the same price on pre-order). Even Realities via Internet Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20241113160801/https://www.evenrealities.com/g1