Even Realities brings productivity-focused smart glasses to Canberra’s tech scene

A company called Even Realities is making waves in Canberra’s tech community this month with a pair of smart glasses that deliberately leave out the camera. The G1 glasses, which start at $599, are designed for productivity-not recording or augmented reality overlays-and arrived in local demo sessions in late June.

The timing matters. As global headlines grapple with robotaxi ultimatums and privacy concerns around always-on cameras, Even Realities is betting that knowledge workers in cities like Canberra want a wearable that helps them read, take notes, and manage notifications without surveilling everyone around them. The glasses use a built-in micro-LED display to project text into the wearer’s field of view, controlled by a ring or touchpad on the frame.

A local test for a camera-free bet

Even Realities hosted private demonstrations in two Canberra coworking spaces-The Spectrum on Lonsdale Street in Braddon and Canberra Innovation Network’s hub in Civic-during the first week of July. Attendees included staff from the Australian National University’s computing department and a handful of local startup founders. No purchase data or local sales figures have been released.

The company’s core pitch: by omitting a camera, the G1 sidesteps the creepiness factor that has dogged competitors like Meta’s Ray-Ban Stories and various AR headsets. Instead, the glasses rely on the wearer’s phone for connectivity. They offer up to eight hours of battery life on a single charge, according to the company’s website. The custom prescription lenses add another $199.

What local businesses are watching

For Canberra’s growing cohort of tech startups and remote workers, the G1 is arriving at a moment when office tools are fragmenting. Slushie machines were a lifesaver during New York City’s recent heat wave, and Reed Jobs is making headlines for focusing on cancer research rather than his surname. Even Realities’ strategy is more understated: make an accessory that improves workflow without making colleagues uneasy.

Local feedback from the demo sessions has been mixed. Some users praised the readability of the micro-LED display in bright daytime light-a common pain point for earlier smart glasses. Others questioned whether the $599 price point (plus prescription lenses) would appeal beyond early adopters. Even Realities has not announced a Canberra retail partner or a permanent showroom.

For now, the best way for locals to try the G1 is to check the company’s website for upcoming pop-up events. Canberra’s tech scene watches closely as the city weighs the trade-offs between wearable productivity and privacy-a balance that Even Realities is betting its business on.