Information layered right onto what you're seeing
En un mercado donde Meta ha logrado convertir las gafas inteligentes en un producto cotidiano, Amazon avanza con sigilo pero con determinación hacia ese mismo horizonte. Bajo el nombre en clave Jayhawk, la compañía prepara unas gafas con pantalla integrada que prometen llevar la realidad aumentada al rostro del consumidor común, algo que sus rivales aún no ofrecen. Antes de llegar a las calles, la tecnología se pondrá a prueba en las manos —y los ojos— de quienes reparten paquetes, convirtiendo la logística en laboratorio. Es la vieja lección de la innovación: los grandes saltos al futuro suelen ensayarse primero en los márgenes del presente.
- Meta domina el mercado de las gafas inteligentes con sus Ray-Ban y su expansión a Oakley, marcando el ritmo que todos los demás deben seguir o superar.
- Amazon no quiere quedarse como espectador: su modelo Jayhawk incluirá una pantalla integrada en una lente, una capacidad de realidad aumentada que Meta todavía no ofrece a sus usuarios.
- La compañía planea distribuir 100.000 unidades a repartidores en el segundo trimestre de 2026, usando su propia red logística como campo de pruebas real antes del lanzamiento al público.
- El verdadero obstáculo no es técnico sino estético: unas gafas industriales pueden ser voluminosas, pero las de consumo deben ser algo que la gente quiera ponerse por elección, no por obligación.
- Si la prueba con conductores resulta exitosa, Amazon llegará al mercado de consumo en 2026 o 2027 con datos reales, confianza técnica y un ecosistema propio para desafiar a Meta.
El mercado de las gafas inteligentes está en ebullición, y Amazon no tiene intención de observar desde la distancia. Según Reuters, la compañía desarrolla al menos dos modelos de gafas inteligentes: uno para su propia fuerza laboral y otro dirigido a los consumidores que hoy podrían decantarse por las Ray-Ban de Meta, que se han convertido en un éxito comercial real.
El modelo para consumidores lleva el nombre en clave Jayhawk. Contará con micrófonos, altavoces y cámara, pero su diferencia clave frente a Meta es una pantalla integrada en una de las lentes: un visor de realidad aumentada que proyecta información en el campo visual del usuario sin obstruir su visión del mundo. Una idea que Google exploró hace años y que Amazon ahora quiere llevar al gran público.
Antes del lanzamiento al consumidor, previsto para finales de 2026 o principios de 2027, Amazon desplegará 100.000 unidades de un modelo específico para sus repartidores a partir del segundo trimestre de 2026. Estas gafas incluirán navegación integrada en las lentes y servirán como laboratorio en condiciones reales: la empresa recopilará datos de uso, refinará la tecnología y trasladará esos aprendizajes al diseño del modelo de consumo.
El reto mayor no es técnico. Las gafas industriales pueden permitirse ser aparatosas; las de consumo deben ser algo que una persona elija llevar cada día. Amazon tiene capacidad de fabricación, red de distribución y recursos para plantar cara a Meta, pero el veredicto final lo darán el diseño, el precio y el ecosistema de servicios que logre construir a su alrededor.
The smart glasses market is heating up, and Amazon is not content to watch from the sidelines. According to reporting from Reuters, the company is developing at least two distinct models of intelligent eyewear—one built for its own workforce, another aimed squarely at consumers who might otherwise buy Meta's increasingly popular Ray-Ban glasses.
Meta has found its footing in this space. The Ray-Ban smart glasses have become a genuine commercial success, and the brand's recent expansion into Oakley frames suggests the momentum is real. Other manufacturers are taking notice, recognizing that smart eyewear could be the next frontier for revitalizing their product lines. Amazon, which has dabbled in smart glasses before, appears ready to make a serious push.
The consumer-facing model carries the internal codename Jayhawk. According to people involved in its development, these glasses will pack the expected hardware: microphones, speakers, a camera for video and stills. But there is one significant difference from what Meta currently offers. Jayhawk will feature an integrated display embedded in one of the lenses—a heads-up display similar in concept to the augmented reality glasses Google experimented with years ago. This display would allow information to appear directly in the wearer's field of vision without blocking the view of the world ahead.
The timeline suggests Amazon is moving with purpose. The consumer version is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. But before that happens, the company will have already tested its technology in the field. Amazon is developing a separate model specifically for its delivery drivers, with integrated navigation guidance built into the lenses. The company plans to manufacture 100,000 units of the driver version for distribution beginning in the second quarter of 2026. This rollout serves a dual purpose: it puts the glasses into real-world use where Amazon can gather data and refine the technology, while simultaneously solving a practical problem for its logistics operation.
The underlying display technology in both versions would work the same way—projecting information onto the lens while preserving the wearer's view of their surroundings. This approach is already common in industrial and logistics settings, where workers use augmented reality glasses to track tasks and see virtual overlays on physical spaces. The challenge for the consumer version will be aesthetic. Industrial glasses can be bulky and utilitarian. Consumer glasses need to look like something a person would want to wear every day, not something they tolerate out of necessity.
Amazon's strategy appears to be using its own workforce as a testing ground. The delivery driver glasses, with their focus on navigation and task management, will generate real-world performance data. That feedback will inform the design and functionality of the consumer model. If the driver version proves reliable and useful, Amazon will have both the technical confidence and the design insights needed to launch a credible competitor to Meta's Ray-Ban glasses.
The smart glasses market remains young, but the trajectory is clear. Meta has established early dominance, but the space is large enough for serious competitors. Amazon has the manufacturing capability, the distribution network, and the financial resources to mount a real challenge. Whether consumers will choose Amazon's glasses over Meta's will depend on design, price, functionality, and the ecosystem of apps and services built around them. For now, the company is laying the groundwork.
Citas Notables
Amazon is not content to watch from the sidelines as Meta establishes dominance in smart eyewear— reporting from Reuters sources involved in the project
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Amazon need two different versions? Why not just build one great pair of glasses?
Because the delivery drivers are the perfect test case. They have a specific, measurable need—navigation and task tracking. Amazon can see what works and what breaks in real conditions before asking regular consumers to wear these things.
So the driver glasses are essentially a beta test?
Exactly. A hundred thousand units in the field, all doing the same job, all generating data. That's invaluable. Amazon learns what the hardware can actually do, what the software needs to do better, what breaks under real stress.
And the consumer version—what makes it different from Meta's Ray-Bans?
The display. Meta's glasses don't have a built-in screen. Amazon's will. That's augmented reality—information layered right onto what you're seeing. It's more ambitious, technically harder, but also more powerful if it works.
Is that enough to beat Meta?
It depends. Meta got there first and they've built momentum. But Amazon has something Meta doesn't—a massive logistics operation that needs this technology. That's a real advantage. They're not just building glasses to sell; they're building glasses to solve their own problem first.
When would someone actually buy these?
Late next year or early 2027, if the timeline holds. But the real question is whether they'll want to. Design matters enormously. Nobody wants to look ridiculous.