Fortunately, I entered the store wearing the latest Meta Orion smart glasses. Oil manufacturers all have a QR code printed on their engine oil packaging. I spend several minutes focusing my smart glasses on the various QR codes to pull up videos of each brand showing how their oil is made in their factory, to discuss their environmental footprint, and to provide the specifications for each of their oils. The smart glasses utilize the latest eye recognition technology, so as my eye locks on the ‘oil selection’ button located on the smart glasses screen. I am prompted for the year and model of my car. I respond by providing the car model and year into the smart glasses speaker, and immediately three oil brands get recommended. I select the Castrol mineral oil option since Castrol is running a ‘Cherry Blossom’ special pricing promotion. Castrol recommends their 20W50 oil and the promotion immediately pops up: buy 4 quarts of oil and get the fifth quart free. Geronimo!

Sound far-fetched? Not in 2028, when smart glasses reinvigorate and transform the consumer buying experience. By 2028, I forecast 90% of all consumer package goods brands will provide QR codes on their products and will have a smart glasses apps for these products. I think consumer packaged goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) will lead the way in the new smart glasses shopping experience. Why P&G? Listen to my business partner, Tim Bajarin, and my February 21, 2025 podcast titled “Business Success in the Virtual World”; it focuses on P&G’s persistent use of immersive technologies since 2020 and provides insight into why I see P&G leading this next commercial transformation.

The pervasive use of smart glasses extends well beyond buying engine oil. Here are a few additional examples of smart glasses in action by 2028:

• Enhanced field service: Field technicians increasingly utilize smart glasses to connect to digital content helping them get directions to the site, securing needed access to knowledge needed to make detailed on-site repairs, order parts, and more.
• Better entertainment: Watch your favorite movie on the airplane on a 100” screen generated from your smart glasses with your smart glasses delivering the movie sound using build-in symphonic technology. Or take a video of your grandchild taking his/her first steps. No more fumbling for your smart phone to record this big moment. Simply tap the record button on smart glasses and voila, your smart glasses are video recording this big moment in real time with outstanding camera quality.
• Real-time language translation: Smart glasses technology is making real-time language translation a game-changer. Smart glasses will come with advanced translation technology such that communicating in any language becomes seamless. This makes global travel, business, and even local interactions in multilingual areas considerably easier.
• Live teleprompter: Speakers can now read their slide content directly from their smart glasses. No more reading notes or taking your eyes away from the audience. Hollywood will jump on this app.

How significant a role will smart glasses play in the future of commerce? Mark Zukerberg predicts smart glasses will replace smartphones by 2030. Major companies including Meta, Google, Amazon and Apple are already spending hundreds of millions of dollars developing smart glasses. Industry experts believe smart glasses will become a part of everyday life by 2028. The global smart glasses market is expected to grow from $878.8 million in 2024 to anywhere between $8-12 billion by 2030. This growth is being driven by technological advancement, increased demand, and growing industrial adoption.

For more information about current smart glasses, be sure to read Tim’s weekly Forbes.com column that include these two articles: A Killer App for Smart Glasses And Earbuds: Real-Time Translation, and Are Smart Glasses the New PC?

Want to learn more about the transformative power of smart glasses? Consider attending or viewing ‘The Future of AI & Smart Glasses: Transforming Business Operations and Customer Engagement’ webinar that Tim and I performed live on March 18^th.

Barton Goldenberg (bgoldenberg@ismguide.com) is president of ISM, Inc. Since 1985, ISM has helped global corporations successfully apply leveraging leading edge technologies – AI, Spatial Computing (VR/AR/XR), Digital Communities, and CRM – to improve sales, marketing and customer service. His thought leadership includes co-creator of the ‘Business Success in a Virtual World’ podcast, co-creator of the award winning AI and Spatial Computing Resource Center, and author of three business books including The Definitive Guide to Social CRM. He is also in high demand as a keynote speaker (www.bartongoldenberg.com) having recently spoken at CES 2025 (video now available on the CES website) and will soon speak at AWE 2025.