A new company called Mentra is entering the crowded smart glasses market with a different strategy. Instead of just hardware, it is focusing on software as well. The company will soon begin shipping its first model, called the Mentra Live.
What makes these glasses different is their operating system and app store. Mentra uses an open-source operating system named MentraOS, unlike Meta’s closed ecosystem. The company has also provided a software development kit, or SDK, to developers since early 2025 so they could start building apps.
These apps will be available in Mentra’s own “MiniApp Store,” which it calls the first dedicated app store of its kind for smart glasses. Users on both iOS and Android phones can access it through the Mentra app. The goal appears to be creating a broad ecosystem of applications, similar to a smartphone.
Early app examples range from practical to playful. One can save handwritten notes seen through the glasses. Another, called “Chess Cheater,” uses the glasses’ camera and artificial intelligence to analyze a chessboard and then whisper a suggested move into the user’s ear.
For hardware, the glasses use a Mediatek MTK8766 processor. They have a 12-megapixel front camera with a 119-degree field of view for photos and HD video. That camera also allows livestreaming directly to platforms like YouTube, Twitch, X, and Instagram.
The Mentra Live’s frame includes three microphones and built-in stereo speakers for listening to music or taking calls through apps like WhatsApp and FaceTime. Mentra says the glasses weigh 43 grams, making them some of the lightest available. The company claims a battery life of more than 12 hours on a single charge, with over 50 additional hours of power stored in the included 2,200mAh charging case.
The Mentra Live smart glasses are prescription-ready and cost $299 (~Php17,800). The first batch is limited to 1,000 pairs, with shipping set to begin on February 15. A second, limited batch will follow with a shipping date of February 28.