Display — most "smart glasses" have no display (Ray-Ban Meta style: camera + mic + speakers only). Monocular mono is a small green HUD in one eye for notifications / turn-by-turn (Even Realities, Halliday). Binocular colour is a real floating screen for video and apps (XREAL, Viture) — those usually tether to a phone or console over USB-C. Graphic UI = can it draw app windows / navigation, or is it audio-and-capture only.
Audio — open-ear speakers in the arms (leak a little) vs bone conduction vs none.
Power — built-in (charge the glasses), + charging case (Ray-Ban Meta), external puck/pod (a battery box on a cable), or tethered to phone (draws power over USB-C, needs a separate hub for standalone use).
Privacy risk — Low = no camera or local-only data, open platform; High = always-on mic + camera + big-tech cloud + a mandatory account. Where data goes spells out which company's servers see your photos, video and voice queries, and whether there's an offline mode.
Subscription flags whether the core experience needs a paid plan (some AI features, live translation, enterprise management).
People / recall = does the device build a memory of people you meet and surface their name + notes later. Only Brilliant Labs Halo ships this (its "Narrative" system, from conversation audio + vision — not facial recognition). Meta's rumoured "Name Tag" face-recognition is not shipping. Recognising coworkers by biometrics without consent is restricted or illegal in several jurisdictions (Illinois BIPA, GDPR, Texas CUBI).