CES 2025: Day 2 Showcased Cool AI Hardware Tech

Everyone knew CES 2025 would throw up some of the coolest artificial intelligence (AI) products, and the new edition of the world’s most popular annual consumer electronics show did not disappoint.

Of course, the event would begin with the announcement of NVIDIA’s newest and hottest GPU series (graphics processing unit)—the GeForce RTX 50 series—a reveal that came on the designated CES 2025 Media Day, which was held over the two days before the event officially opened.

Yet, over the following two days, numerous startups and tech conglomerates revealed a diverse array of AI-powered gizmos that wowed many a tech enthusiast attending CES 2025.

Halliday

Where other smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta project text and images onto the lenses of the glasses, Halliday is taking a different approach. Instead of forward projection, they’re going for backward projection.

That is, they’re projecting the interface directly into a user’s eyeball, essentially creating a 3.5-inch round display in front of the user.

The interface is projected through “the world's smallest optical module” at 3.6mm (2.5 times smaller than an M&M), which is located on the top right part of the frames, projecting onto a user’s right eye. The positioning of the module can be adjusted by sliding it up, down, left, or right.


This unique approach makes Halliday’s smart glasses the world’s first proactive AI glasses with an invisible display.

The glasses weigh just 35 grams, come with a long-lasting battery (up to 12 hours), are extremely comfortable, and are controlled by a smart ring.

As for usage, the smart glasses come with discrete ring control, real-time AI-powered translation for over 40 languages, an AI Cheatsheet for information, offer notifications and instant replies, can automatically capture audio recordings and generate meeting notes, enables users to enjoy music with lyrics, and brings them hands-free navigation without having to constantly check their phones.


All these features ensure that users enjoy complete privacy, something that the company guarantees. The only giveaway is a small green dot on a user’s eye when the smart glasses are in operation.

While this approach isn’t cheap, it costs a lot less than what the other AR glasses do with their expensive AR lenses. This move also allows users to easily make use of prescription lenses in Halliday’s smart glasses.

Halliday is aiming for a late March 2025 launch. However, users can pre-order the glasses now as part of a Kickstarter launch campaign (which will close after the official launch in late January). Users can purchase the glasses now for $369, $269 less than the full price of $489, by pledging $9.90.

Is the math not mathing?

That’s because a user can save $120 on the glasses directly and get a free pair of prescription lenses worth $149 as part of this deal. $120 + $149 = $269 of saving! Math is back!

However, this is still more expensive than the Ray-Ban Metas, even with the discount, but Halliday’s glasses are slimmer and lighter.

Omi

Coming out of San Francisco is Based Hardware, which brought its new wearable—Omi—to CES 2025.

Originally called “Friend”, the device was renamed to Omi after another San Francisco startup named their device Friend as well and bought the domain name for $1.8 million.

Omi, which is a circular device bigger than an M&M, comes in a few different colors, is worn as a necklace, and is activated by using the trigger phrase “Hey Omi”. However, the manufacturer claims that a separate module of the device can be stuck to the side of a user’s head with medical tape and be used as a brain interface to understand what a user is asking of it.


In terms of usage, the device is similar to others. A user asks a question, the device will provide an answer. Ahead of this, the device also translates languages, allows users to send emails, summarize texts, plan activities and meetings, as well as complete more tasks using their voice.

The device has access to a marketplace that’s loaded with more than 250 apps such as Google Calendar, Google Drive, Map Notes, Buddy Bot, Note to Self, Omi Mentor, and a lot more.


Based Hardware expects to begin shipping its consumer version, which costs $89 and is available for pre-orders, in Q2 2025. Alternatively, there is a developer version currently available for around $70.

Omi works with all iPhone and Android phone models. 

Other AI-Powered Hardware

CES 2025 witnessed a wide range of smart rings. One was brought to attendees by Circular in the form of the Titanium Ring 2, which is available in gold, silver, black, and rose gold.

This ring comes with real-time heart health data, enhanced sensors that help accurately track health metrics, a full eight-day battery lifespan, an updated accompanying app, digital ring sizing, sleep stage analysis, and a wireless charging dock.

Ahead of this, South Korea-based VIV Health introduced the VIV Ring, which brings its users AI-enabled healthcare predictions. It also offers generative sleep-aid sound technology that analyzes biometric data, sleep patterns, and sleep cycles to construct personalized sleep audio enhancing user’s sleep by leveraging AI.

What do you think about the AI hardware on display at CES 2025?

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