MentraOS – open-source Smart glasses OS

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Openness, “OS” Definition, and Architecture

  • Debate over whether MentraOS is a true OS or mainly an SDK + cloud platform sitting atop AOSP and minimal firmware.
  • Some see it as genuinely open source (including cloud components); others note the Android base and argue crucial low-level code isn’t in the repo.
  • Clarification from project participants: current “AI glasses” model runs AOSP; a 2026 HUD model will use a lightweight MCU client.

Cloud Dependence, Edge Limits, and Privacy

  • Strong criticism that without the cloud MentraOS isn’t much of an OS and becomes a privacy risk, especially with cameras and mics.
  • MentraOS team says the “Mentra Cloud” / relay can be fully self-hosted and that developers host their own apps.
  • Architecture uses cloud to let multiple apps run concurrently and share “context,” and to save phone battery; edge mode will exist but limited to one app and heavier phone battery use.
  • Some argue cloud should be optional, not the core model, and that “cloud apps” inherently increase surveillance and latency.

Device Compatibility and Hardware Trade-offs

  • MentraOS claims to target multiple glasses (Even Realities G1, Vuzix Z100, others), but cannot support locked-down devices like Meta Ray-Bans yet.
  • Discussion that many smart glasses simply run Android; HUD-only devices use lighter stacks.
  • Several users want “just a display” driven by phone/laptop (Xreal, Rokid, Viture, Lenovo Legion, Vufine mentioned), without cameras/mics for privacy and simplicity.
  • Counterpoint: microphones and sensors enable key features like captions, translation, head tracking.

Use Cases, AR Expectations, and “Dumb” vs Smart

  • Desired features: live translation, subtitles, navigation, minimal AR overlays, and even ad blocking (with concern about “subtractive reality”).
  • Some argue today’s products are mostly HUDs, not true AR; others insist full spatial AR is the real goal.
  • A sizable camp prefers “dumb” glasses: act as camera + Bluetooth/USB display for phone apps, no app store or on-device AI. Others respond this breaks down with multiple apps and shared sensors, which is what MentraOS aims to solve.

Business Model, Culture, and Longevity Concerns

  • The careers page (996, “transhumanist hackers,” anti–work-life balance) triggers backlash as emblematic of VC-driven, unsustainable culture.
  • Skepticism that any VC-backed “open” platform will stay open; comparisons to other projects that started open and shifted toward control.
  • Persistent doubt that smart glasses in general will achieve mainstream, lasting utility given ergonomics, battery, and social acceptability.