Raven Prism Puts a Full Linux Computer in a Pair of Glasses, and Reservations Are Open at $1,499

The San Francisco startup's eye-controlled glasses run their own operating system without a phone, use hot-swappable batteries and start shipping in January.

SAN FRANCISCO - Most smart glasses are accessories for a phone. Raven Resonance is betting that people want glasses that are the computer. The San Francisco startup has opened reservations for Raven Prism, a pair of prescription eyewear that runs a standalone Linux operating system and does not need a smartphone, the company announced on PR Newswire. A fully refundable $49 deposit holds a place in line, and the glasses cost $1,499, according to Raven’s reservation page.

The first units are due to ship to early adopters in January 2027. Raven builds the glasses in batches in the United States, and the first two batches are already full, with a third for spring 2027 listed as almost full. New reservations go into Batch 4, a general release scheduled for summer 2027. Raven ships only within the United States for now and says the glasses will soon be available in the European Union.

Directions from a paired phone appear in the corner of the wearer’s view. Image: Raven Resonance

Raven Prism runs Raven OS, a Linux-based system, on a quad-core 64-bit ARM processor with up to 4GB of RAM and at least 32GB of storage, according to Raven’s website. Owners can connect over SSH and run their own ARM64 software, and the glasses ship with more than 25 apps through Raven’s own app store. A full-color waveguide display with an LCoS light engine sits on the right lens, offset toward the edge of the wearer’s vision, with a 30-degree field of view. Raven compares the virtual image to a 16-inch screen seen at arm’s length.

The main way to control it is with the eyes. Dedicated sensors inside the frame track gaze, using models from Pupil Labs and Raven, and voice commands and Bluetooth keyboards and mice also work. Prescription lenses are built in, and this batch supports prescriptions from -4.5 to +4.5 diopters.

Screenshot: @tomthecarrot on X

Power comes from what Raven calls Raven Wings, magnetic battery modules that attach to the frame and can be swapped while the glasses keep running, so apps pick up where they left off. Each pair comes with two pairs of Wings and a case to charge them. Raven says the same connector is designed for future modules such as cellular modems, GPS receivers and AI accelerators.

“For decades, the computer has lived on a desk, in a pocket or in a bag,” Thomas Suarez, Raven’s co-founder and chief executive, said in the announcement. “Raven Prism puts a powerful, open Linux computer directly into your field of view, accessible through your eyes and voice, without demanding your constant attention.”

A recipe stays in view so the wearer does not have to touch a phone while cooking. Image: Raven Resonance

Privacy is a large part of the pitch. The 13-megapixel camera has a physical cover that must be removed before it can capture anything, and lights in the frame, which Raven calls Beakon Lights, show people nearby when the camera is on. Eye-tracking data is processed on the device, and Raven says no user data leaves the glasses without the owner’s consent. The frame also holds four microphones, two stereo speakers, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.

Suarez has worn Google Glass and other modified headsets daily since 2013 and did wearable computing research under Thad Starner at Georgia Tech, according to Raven’s company page. The startup is backed by investors including Draper Associates, Bain Capital and Horizon.

The price is the open question. Notebookcheck noted that many Reddit users found $1,499 steep for the hardware, and the narrow 30-degree view makes Raven Prism better suited to small panels of information than to wide augmented reality scenes. Independent reviews will have to wait until the first batches ship.

Raven Prism goes on sale in batches, with general reservations now for summer 2027. Image: Raven Resonance