Only a few days following the unveiling of their somewhat pedestrian smart glasses by Ray-Ban and Facebook, Xiaomi released its own pair. They are quite different.
The Xiaomi Smart Glasses – the name is a bit tricky– is a normal pair of shades that weigh 51g. But they come with a MicroLED screen built into the right lenses, a 5-megapixel camera at the front, a quad-core ARM processor, and a battery. A touchpad on the frame and Wi-Fi connectivity. While Xiaomi has not specified which version of Android the glasses are running, it is believed that they run Android.
The display is perhaps the most intriguing part. OLED displays are similar to MicroLED. However, microLED has a higher resolution, longer lifetime, and a simpler design that Xiaomi claims can be integrated into glasses more easily. Although the display isn’t very sophisticated, it must allow light to be visible through the glasses. It is a monochrome LCD display that can show things such as a clock, text, and navigation instructions.
The way Xiaomi positions the device is also fascinating. The company claims that the Smart Glasses will be a separate device from your smartphone and are not just an accessory. These glasses can be used to make and get calls, read texts, translate text, and much more without the need for a smartphone. You can also use the glasses to make and receive calls, read texts, take photos, translate text, and more without using your smartphone.
There will be many parallels between Xiaomi’s Smart Glasses and Google Glass. Both had a built-in display but were ultimately abandoned as mass-market products. Instead, Google turned them into a tool for professionals. We will see if Xiaomi can avoid this fate but for now, Xiaomi Smart Glasses are a product that anyone can buy.
No word yet on the price or availability. We have asked Xiaomi about this and will update this post when we hear more.
