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by Jan Johannsen
Smart but inconspicuous: what the new intelligent AI glasses Halo can really do
1.8.2025
Translation: machine translated
With the Halo, Brilliant Labs is launching AI glasses that deliberately focus on restraint. Instead of cloud analysis, everything runs locally; instead of a tech look, there is the classic Wayfarer style and an open source architecture.
At first glance, they look inconspicuous: slim frame, matt surface, no visible display, no technical bells and whistles. The newly launched Halo from Brilliant Labs is more reminiscent of fashionable everyday glasses in the classic Wayfarer style than a high-tech gadget.
But first impressions are deceptive. The discreet product contains a powerful AI assistant, a mini display and an entire sensor package. All combined in an open platform that focuses on data protection and local computing power.
Brilliant Labs was founded in 2019 by a former Apple employee and is headquartered in Singapore.
What's inside the Halo?
You wear Halo like a normal pair of glasses. It weighs just over 40 grams and offers a slim, unobtrusive silhouette similar to everyday spectrum glasses. The integrated micro OLED display measures just 0.2 inches and only shows information when you consciously tilt your head slightly. The display is based on the style of classic retro arcade UIs: simple, colourful, functional. Instead of virtual overlays, you are shown compact hints or reactions.
The AI glasses support individual customisation: You can adjust the interpupillary distance (IPD) and set the optical system for visual acuity between +2 and -6 dioptres. Prescription or sun lenses can also be inserted via our partner Smartbuyglasses.
Source: Brilliant Labs
In addition to the display, the Halo features an optical sensor, two microphones with audio activity detection, a 6-axis position sensor (IMU) and bone-sound speakers for audio output. According to the manufacturer, the integrated battery should last up to 14 hours.
Software: «Noa», «Narrative» and the «Vibe-Mode»
The Halo runs on an open system: it is based on the ZephyrOS operating system with a Lua-based API. It is specially optimised for energy-efficient hardware. The built-in B1 chip from Alif Semiconductor has an integrated NPU (Neural Processing Unit). The computing work for artificial intelligence therefore takes place directly on the glasses, not in the cloud.
The software is centred around «Noa», a multimodal AI assistant. It processes visual and acoustic information from your surroundings and reacts to it in real time. You can control «Noa» by voice command. For example, to activate the microphone or camera or to switch the glasses to sleep mode.
Source: Brilliant Labs
Another core feature is the system «Narrative». Unlike voice assistants or smart glasses, Halo does not store raw data such as audio recordings or videos. Instead, the system abstracts information from your surroundings, such as names, topics or the content of conversations. This can be called up later. So you can ask for a name you recently heard without your entire conversation being recorded anywhere.
With the «Vibe-Mode», Halo offers a particularly creative function: you can create your own applications by voice. You simply say what you need and «Noa» generates a suitable mini-app. This runs directly on the AI glasses and can even be shared with others or developed further. You don't need any programming skills, but if you do, you can extend the apps with Lua.
Open source and data protection
Halo is designed to be completely open: Hardware design, code base and technical documentation are freely accessible on GitHub. Brilliant Labs takes an unusually transparent approach to data protection. The glasses process information locally, do not store any raw data and do not transfer anything to the cloud by default. You can only synchronise certain functions via external interfaces at your express request. These include your calendar or a cloud backup solution.
Halo costs 299 US dollars and can be pre-ordered directly from the manufacturer. Delivery is scheduled to start worldwide in November 2025.
Header image: Brilliant Labs
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