How Halliday Bounced Back from Smart Glasses Failure
· news
How Do You Bounce Back from Making the Worst Smart Glasses of 2025?
Halliday’s debut smart glasses were an unmitigated disaster, panned by critics and users alike. The company’s failure has been extensively documented, but what’s striking is its leadership’s response: a refreshing dose of humility.
The new Halliday G2 represents a significant departure from the original, with waveguide prisms replacing the DigiWindow display that was widely criticized for its poor performance. This change alone addresses one of the most glaring issues with the first generation: readability. By adopting established technology, Halliday demonstrates it has been paying attention to its competition and is willing to adapt.
Halliday’s COO, Carter Hou, acknowledges “many mistakes,” including a lack of testing and QA. The company seems determined to focus on fundamentals rather than trying to reinvent the wheel with every new iteration. This approach suggests that Halliday is prioritizing improvement over innovation, which may be exactly what it needs right now.
By concentrating on better-quality hardware, more reliable manufacturing, and a solid operating system, Halliday may establish a foothold in an increasingly crowded market. The business side of things is equally intriguing, as the company’s pivot towards AI-powered meeting tools represents a bold bet that there’s still room for innovation in this space.
Halliday’s focus on real-time assistance during meetings, rather than simply providing post-meeting analysis, may be onto something genuinely new. However, there are risks involved, particularly given Halliday’s relatively small size and reliance on crowdfunding support. But it’s hard not to admire the company’s willingness to take a second chance, rather than retreating into denial or defensiveness.
As Halliday looks to regain trust with its new product, one thing is clear: the smart glasses market is far from settled. Established players like Meta and Google will undoubtedly be watching closely to see how Halliday’s G2 performs – and whether it can carve out a meaningful niche for itself amidst increasingly intense competition.
Reader Views
- CSCorrespondent S. Tan · field correspondent
Halliday's turnaround hinges on more than just tech tweaks - its willingness to confront past mistakes and refocus on fundamentals is what really sets it apart from other also-rans in this crowded market. While adopting established waveguide prisms and prioritizing quality control are crucial steps, Halliday must also address the elephant in the room: its crowdfunding reliance. A sustainable business model will be just as important to its long-term success as improved hardware and AI innovation.
- ADAnalyst D. Park · policy analyst
While Halliday's G2 smart glasses represent a welcome return to fundamentals, one can't help but wonder if they've missed the boat on innovation. By relying on established waveguide prisms and AI-powered meeting tools that still play catch-up with industry leaders like Meta and Google, Halliday risks being seen as merely playing it safe. To truly recover from its 2025 debacle, the company needs to demonstrate a more nuanced understanding of what sets it apart – rather than simply coasting on its competitors' mistakes.
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
Halliday's remarkable turnaround is indeed heartening, but let's not forget that the tech world has short memories and unforgiving expectations. To truly put its missteps behind it, Halliday needs to focus on delivering products that consistently meet user needs, not just incremental improvements. A more extensive testing regimen, one that includes real-world evaluations by everyday users, would be a significant step towards regaining lost trust in the brand. This would also provide much-needed validation for investors and crowdfunding supporters who staked their bets on Halliday's second chance.