Kmart AI Glasses: $89 Anko Camera Specs & Privacy
A pair of $89 glasses selling out across an entire country is not something you see often. That is exactly what happened when Kmart Australia quietly put its Anko “Camera Glasses” on the shelf. Within days, they were gone from stores and from the website. The reason for the rush is simple: for the first time, a pair of AI-connected camera glasses cost less than a night out instead of several hundred dollars. This guide explains what the Kmart AI glasses actually are, their full specs, what the AI can and cannot do, how they compare with Ray-Ban Meta, whether you can buy them outside Australia, and the privacy questions worth thinking about before you wear a camera on your face.
What are the Kmart AI glasses?
The “Kmart AI glasses” are sold under Anko, Kmart’s own in-house budget brand, and listed plainly as Camera Glasses. They are also stocked by Target, which sits in the same retail group as Kmart in Australia. At a glance they look like ordinary black-framed spectacles with clear lenses. The difference is hidden in the frame: a small camera, tiny speakers, a microphone, and Bluetooth. A light on the frame is meant to switch on when the camera is recording, so people nearby have some signal that they may be filmed. The pitch is a hands-free way to snap a photo or capture a short video without pulling out your phone, plus a link to an AI assistant through a companion app. In short, they are a low-cost take on the smart glasses that Meta and Ray-Ban made popular.
Full specs and price
Kmart lists the Anko glasses at AUD $89, which works out to roughly US$55–60 depending on the exchange rate. That price is the whole story here — it undercuts almost every branded rival. Here is what you get for the money, based on Kmart’s own product listing:
- Camera: up to 8-megapixel photos and 1080p video
- Audio: built-in speakers and a microphone for music and hands-free calls
- Connection: Bluetooth pairing with your smartphone
- Controls: physical buttons plus touch controls on the frame
- Battery: about 3.5 hours of use at 80% volume, with a charge time of around two hours
- Water resistance: IPX4 rating — it can handle light splashes but not being dunked
- Indicator: a light that shows when the camera is active
These are modest numbers next to a flagship device, but for under sixty US dollars they cover the basics most casual users want. The short battery life and splash-only water resistance are the clearest trade-offs.
What the AI actually does
This is where buyers should set expectations carefully. The “AI” in the Kmart AI glasses runs through a companion app called HeyCyan, which several low-cost smart glasses share. Through the app you get image recognition and a basic chat assistant — point at something and ask the assistant about it, roughly speaking. It is a genuine AI feature, but it is not on the level of Meta’s own assistant. Early user reports suggest HeyCyan can be slow and has stumbled on simple tasks. It is also a closed system: you cannot plug in a third-party AI app of your choice.
There is one detail that most coverage skips, and it matters. According to the product manual, the AI service is only listed as available for around six months. If that holds, the “smart” part of these smart glasses may have a short built-in shelf life, even though the camera and audio keep working. Anyone buying mainly for the AI should treat that as a real limitation, not a small footnote. For a fuller picture of how assistants differ across the category, our neutral AI glasses buyer’s guide on aiera.blog breaks down what each major model’s AI can really do.
Anko vs Ray-Ban Meta vs budget rivals
So how do the Kmart AI glasses stack up against the name most people compare them to? Here is a simple side-by-side.
| Feature | Kmart Anko Camera Glasses | Ray-Ban Meta | Budget rivals (Amazon/Temu) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | AUD $89 (~US$58) | From ~AUD $337–469 | Similar to Anko |
| Photo / Video | 8MP / 1080p | Higher-quality capture | Varies widely |
| AI assistant | HeyCyan app (basic, ~6-month listing) | Meta AI (faster, ongoing) | Often HeyCyan or similar |
| Audio | Speakers + mic | Open-ear speakers + mic | Basic |
| Battery | ~3.5 hrs at 80% volume | Longer, varies by use | Varies |
| Ecosystem | Closed | Meta apps | Mixed |
The takeaway: the Anko glasses win clearly on price and lose on AI quality, polish, and long-term support. Meta has sold more than seven million pairs of its smart glasses globally, and its assistant keeps improving. The Kmart pair is best seen as an entry ticket to the category rather than a Meta replacement.
Are the Kmart AI glasses available in the US?
Short answer: not really. The Kmart AI glasses are an Australian product, priced in Australian dollars and sold through Kmart and Target stores in Australia. Kmart has almost no presence left in the United States, so you will not find the Anko Camera Glasses on a US shelf. American shoppers searching for them are usually reacting to the viral news rather than a local launch. If you are in the US and want something at this price and style, near-identical camera glasses are widely sold on Amazon and Temu — many even use the same HeyCyan app. For a mainstream option with stronger AI and support, Ray-Ban Meta is the obvious starting point. Stock and availability can change, so check the retailer directly before assuming anything.
Why they sold out — and the privacy question
The sell-out was driven by price and curiosity, but it also reopened a serious debate. When a camera you wear on your face costs less than $90, many more people can own one — and many more people can be recorded without clearly knowing. That is the core worry. Privacy commentators point out that in Australia, privacy law mainly regulates organisations, not private individuals filming in public. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has said it is watching how these devices roll out, but for now it largely points concerned people toward independent legal advice. In other words, the rules have not caught up with the hardware.
None of this is unique to Kmart. Meta’s glasses raised the same questions first, and some venues — courts, certain workplaces, and event organisers — have already restricted camera glasses on their premises. The honest framing is that budget pricing did not create the problem; it just made an existing one harder to ignore.
If you buy a pair, a few responsible habits go a long way: make sure the recording light is visible and working, tell people when you are filming, avoid recording in private spaces like changing rooms and bathrooms, and think about where the app sends your photos and video. It is also worth asking what happens to your data inside a closed app you did not choose. We cover the wider shift toward always-on, wearable AI in our look at 2026’s top AI trends, and the same rule keeps coming up: convenience and consent have to move together.
Should you buy them?
It comes down to what you actually want. If you are curious about smart glasses, like the idea of grabbing quick hands-free photos, and do not want to spend hundreds of dollars, the Kmart AI glasses are a low-risk way to try the category. Content creators and small-business owners have already flagged them as a cheap filming tool.
But if your main reason for buying is the AI, temper your hopes. The assistant is basic, the app has had complaints, and the six-month AI listing is a real concern. If you want an assistant that is fast, well supported, and improving over time, a mainstream option like Ray-Ban Meta — or a camera-free display model such as Even Realities for privacy-first settings — will serve you better, even at a higher price. For a full comparison across budgets and needs, the team at aiera.blog keeps an updated ranking of the best AI glasses for 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much do the Kmart AI glasses cost? They are listed at AUD $89, roughly US$55–60, sold under Kmart’s Anko brand as “Camera Glasses.”
What can the AI on the Anko glasses do? Through the HeyCyan companion app, they offer basic image recognition and a simple chat assistant. It works, but it is slower and more limited than Meta’s AI, and the manual lists the AI service as available for around six months.
Are the Kmart AI glasses available in the US? No. They are an Australian product sold through Kmart and Target in Australia. US shoppers can find similar camera glasses on Amazon or Temu instead.
Is it legal to record people with them? Recording laws vary by country and state. In Australia, privacy law mainly covers organisations rather than individuals filming in public, but secret recording in private spaces can break other laws. Always check your local rules and film responsibly. This is general information, not legal advice.
How long does the battery last? About 3.5 hours at 80% volume, with a charge time of roughly two hours.
Do you need a phone to use them? Yes. Bluetooth pairing and the HeyCyan app on your smartphone are needed for the AI and full features.
The bottom line
The Kmart AI glasses are a milestone less for what they do and more for what they cost. At AUD $89, they drag wearable AI cameras into impulse-buy territory, which is exciting for curious buyers and uncomfortable for anyone thinking about privacy. As a camera-and-audio gadget, they deliver the basics. As an AI device, they are a first step, not a destination. Buy them to experiment cheaply — just wear them with the same courtesy you would want from the person sitting across from you.
