There are to watch movies. Those that will allow you to read the content of your smartphone or help you reach your destination. Or those that allow you to play without having your nose glued to your console. Connected, smart or augmented reality (AR) glasses are absolutely everywhere at the Mobile World Congress, which is being held this week in Barcelona.
The main manufacturers present debuted their pair to demonstrate that they innovate. Xiaomi even took advantage of the show to present its Wireless AR Smart Glass Discovery Edition. There is no need to connect them to a smartphone, these augmented reality glasses have very bright microLED screens. Lenses with an adaptive screen that will even adjust its brightness depending on the ambient lighting. However, to work, the AR glasses must be connected to a Snapdragon Space compatible smartphone, such as the latest Xiaomi 13 Pro. This will allow them to support manual tracking and multiple apps, but also take advantage of very low latency (3ms between the glasses and the smartphone).
From left to right, top to bottom: Xiaomi glasses, Oppo Air Glass 2, Lenovo ThinkReality, and TCL NXTWEAR S.
Despite the somewhat massive design, Xiaomi’s Wireless AR Smart Glass is quite light (126g) and is made of magnesium-lithium alloy and carbon fiber so as not to weigh down the user’s nose. In addition, they can switch to “total occlusion” mode and get closer to a more immersive virtual reality goggles concept. At the moment, it is mostly a non-functional concept presented by Xiaomi, which promises a very high quality resolution and multiple advances, in particular in microgesture control (flexing of the fingers) and the transfer of content from a smart device. . TV (Xiaomi) to glasses to continue watching a movie, for example.
Light models, sometimes autonomous
Another even lighter model (38 g) and close to fairly classic glasses in its design, the Oppo Air Glass 2. Last year, the Chinese brand tried to bet on a connected monocle that offered, on a single screen, access to certain smartphone applications (weather, music, navigation, etc.). The second version sees double, it is still shown in the green monochrome glasses and is controlled by sliding a finger on the right side to move from one menu to another, to activate, validate or navigate.
No wired connection here and some freedom of movement, but the Oppo Air Glass 2s, despite a rather nice display (with a slight rainbow halo effect around the edges) and decent-looking battery life (stayed at 66% battery after 2h30 of non-stop use), they’re still looking for a real utility. The sound that comes out of the branches is honest. We prefer the possibility of having the live transcription on screen of what your foreign interlocutor tells you and that it will appear in the translated language of your choice. At the moment, the connected glasses do not have a launch date or price.
Lenovo introduced a few months ago a concept of glasses called Lenovo ThinkReality. They are, in short, the fruit of all the know-how of the house. They work in partnership with Motorola smartphones and thanks to an advanced connection enabled by Qualcomm, supplier of the chips embedded in the glasses and smartphones. The glasses connect via USB-C and offer multiple experiences, including a playful version offered to fans of the San Diego Padres baseball team, who can play batters in augmented reality before games on the stadium.
TCL, multitude of advanced models
It is finally at TCL, as at the last CES, where we find more variety. The Asian brand exhibits at its stand no less than three different versions of glasses. The NXTWEAR S connects to a smartphone via USB-C or even a PC. Of all the MWCs, it is undoubtedly the model that offers the most refined display quality to have a real impression of a giant screen under the eyes to watch a movie, for example (in excellent definition, moreover) or display several screens.
We were even able to connect them to a Steam Deck portable console and play Overcooked 2 through the glasses without leaving the surrounding world, but without having our eyes glued to the console screen. It is a version of different smart glasses, called extended screen with micro-Oled glasses that allow a sensation of a 130-inch slab before our eyes, with four speakers for sound immersion. Unlike Oppo or Xiaomi, TCL glasses are directly linked to the device they are connected to and the content they reflect.
To have a model similar to the competition, then it is necessary to turn to RayNeo X2, autonomous AR glasses with a color screen and no longer monochrome. It is also of excellent quality. We were able to test them at the last CES in Las Vegas and the RayNeo X2 are quite remarkable. They allow you to take photos or film thanks to the on-board device, in addition to the microphone and speakers. It is also possible to start GPS navigation, receive calls, listen to music or even perform translations in real time. All without having to have a smartphone at hand.
Apple and Samsung soon in the dance
And the market does not seem to stop there. Other players such as ZTE also compete with, at its Catalan stand, its Neovision Glass, more oriented towards a connected model such as ski sunglasses. A French manufacturer, My future innovation, even presented in Barcelona a very wide range of connected models in the fashionable solar way that, connected to the smartphone, allow you to receive calls or listen to music in particular. And the lenses can even be replaced with prescription corrective lenses. The brand advances the use for sports, work or fun. And his glasses are reminiscent of the fashion effort that Meta has made for his Ray-Ban Stories glasses.
After having tried virtual reality via smartphone in the helmet without much success, Samsung would also have inclinations in the field of glasses. And it is that it is always rumored that Apple would lean between virtual reality headsets and augmented reality glasses, an area that Tim Cook likes much more. Enough to take off a market that is still struggling to see far.
Source: BFM TV
