Solos is launching a privacy shield accessory for its new smart glasses with cameras.
The company, which previously focused on audio-only devices, has announced the AirGo A6 and the updated Solos AirGo V2. The V2 model arrives at a price of $299 and includes photo and video capture, music playback, and an AI assistant that can see what the user sees. These specifications match those of Meta’s own $299 smart glasses. The frames accept prescription lenses and offer a battery life between 10 and 12 hours.
Solos has introduced a Privacy Kit for the AirGo V2. This set of clip-on accessories blocks the cameras from view and stops recording. The kit also includes a polarized lens option. The full range of modular options costs $79.
Selling a privacy kit as a separate clip-on accessory is not the most effective way to address concerns about discreet cameras on faces. Users must buy an extra item and clip it on and off every time they wish to disable the camera. This extra step likely discourages people from using the feature at all. There is also nothing preventing bad actors from removing the clip-on blockers later in an interaction, such as after entering an event that prohibits recording.
Solos’ first camera-enabled glasses, the Solos AirGo Vision, launched in 2024. WIRED placed them in the “Don’t Bother” section of its Best Smart Glasses gallery. The review noted decent design choices but highlighted middling media capture quality, frustrating touch controls, and a power-hungry app that demands too many permissions. Overall, the glasses have not reached the standard set by Meta.
Meta remains the dominant force in the smart glasses market, though other companies are trying to fill the gaps. Google and Samsung have a partnership to build out Google’s Android XR platform, with new glasses arriving later this year from eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Apple has reportedly been building its own smart glasses as well.
Smaller companies are adjusting their target markets to counter Meta. Even Realities sells camera-free glasses. Solos’ reemphasis on privacy comes after a period of widespread criticism of Meta’s devices. The glasses have been called creepy “pervert glasses” and faced backlash after the company silently added face recognition code, then quickly removed it following a WIRED report. Meta has not helped its position since then, announcing last week that it will start charging for features on its smart glasses that were previously free.
Meta has acknowledged that a market for audio-only smart glasses exists. CTO Andrew Bosworth stated in a private Q&A session with media that he thinks there is “market demand for that product for sure.” However, the company has not moved away from its camera-forward spectacles yet. It may make audio-only glasses in the future. Until then, companies like Solos are eager to chip away at that market.
What it means
Wearers of the Solos AirGo V2 must physically block the lenses to prevent recording. This adds friction to the process of taking photos or video. The reliance on a removable clip means the device can still function as a camera if the accessory is taken off, leaving the user responsible for ensuring the blocker stays in place.
