A Chinese startup has grabbed attention in the tech world after unveiling smart glasses that can help users create apps, conduct research, and carry out tasks using voice commands, putting it ahead of Apple and Meta in a category many expected the tech giants to dominate.
For years, companies such as Apple and Meta have been working on smart glasses that could become the next major consumer gadget. While both companies have invested heavily in wearable technology, neither has released a product aimed directly at software developers and heavy users of AI tools. That gap has now been filled by a Chinese startup called Monako.
The company recently unveiled Monako Glass, a pair of smart glasses that it describes as the world’s first wearable Linux computer in glasses form. The device is designed to work with coding assistants such as Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, allowing users to interact with software tools through voice commands while wearing the glasses. Monako founder, Candy Yue, believes technology is changing how software is created.
“In the age of artificial intelligence, building has never been easier,” Yue said during the product presentation. “I used to grind at the keyboard, but nowadays I just tell the computer what I want and the AI builds it for me.”
The glasses weigh just 48 grams and look similar to ordinary eyewear. They come with a display, camera, speakers, and gesture controls built into the frame. Unlike many smart glasses already on the market, Monako is not targeting people who simply want to take photos, listen to music, or receive notifications.
Instead, the company is focusing on developers, researchers, and professionals who spend much of their time working with software tools. One of the demonstrations shown during the launch involved a user speaking a request and having an application created automatically. Once completed, the application was saved directly on the glasses and could be accessed later.
The company says users can create what it calls personalised applications for education, research, software development, gaming, and other activities. Yue believes wearable computers will become much smaller in the future.
“We believe in the future all types of productivity will move to a form factor that’s as small as a regular pair of glasses,” he said. Another feature attracting attention is the microphone system.
According to the company, the glasses use a bone-conduction microphone placed on the bridge of the nose. Rather than relying only on sound from the surrounding environment, the microphone detects vibrations from the user’s nasal bone. Yue says this allows the device to recognise commands more accurately in noisy environments. “If you’re at a rave party or a very loud coffee shop, my AI listens to me and only me,” he explained.
The glasses also support gesture controls. During the demonstration, users could raise a hand to open menus, select applications, and adjust settings without touching the device. The launch is significant because it arrives while Apple and Meta are still working on their own long-term plans for smart glasses.
Meta has found success with its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which focus on taking photos, making calls, and providing voice assistance. Apple, meanwhile, is reportedly developing smart glasses of its own, although reports suggest a commercial launch may still be some distance away.
What makes Monako different is its decision to target people who want to work rather than simply consume content. Many smart glasses released so far have been marketed as lifestyle products. Monako is presenting its glasses as a tool that could become part of a person’s daily workflow. The device runs on a custom operating system called MonoOS, which is based on Linux. The company says users can even remove pre-installed software and deploy their own applications directly on the platform. Despite the excitement surrounding the announcement, several questions remain unanswered.
The company has not fully disclosed details about battery life, large-scale manufacturing plans, or final pricing. Technology analysts have also pointed out that a successful demonstration does not automatically guarantee commercial success.
Privacy could also become a topic of discussion. Like many smart glasses, the device includes a camera and microphone, features that have raised concerns whenever similar products have entered the market. Even so, Monako has managed to achieve something few startups accomplish.
It has inserted itself into a conversation normally dominated by some of the world’s largest technology companies.
For now, Apple and Meta remain the bigger names with deeper pockets and larger customer bases. Yet when it comes to smart glasses built specifically for creating software and working with AI assistants, a small Chinese startup has reached the market first.
Whether Monako Glass becomes a commercial success remains to be seen. What is certain is that the company has forced people to pay attention, and it has done so by taking a path that some of the biggest names in technology have yet to follow.
