While smart glasses are eventually expected to be a major way we interact with the digital world in the future, for now, they’re still limited by current tech. But, XREAL is taking another step forward with the new XREAL One smart glasses, which look more like traditional sunglasses than anything before them, at least for glasses with built-in displays.
Smart glasses with displays typically have large projection elements behind them that project onto a screen to reflect light back towards your eyes. To be clear, these glasses have that too – but it’s thinner than previous generations, and that makes a huge difference. Will you wear these around the street in day to day life? No, probably not – but if you do want to wear them in places like a train or plane, you won’t stick out quite as much.
The displays on these glasses are actually very high tech. They have a peak brightness of 5000 nits, and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz for a smooth feel. And, they can project a 147-inch equivalent, which will make them excellent for productivity.
Core to these glasses, however, is their processing power. The glasses have XREALS’s custom X1 chip designed specifically for AR, which allows them to support 3 degrees-of-freedom, or 3DoF. 3DoF basically means that you can tilt your head or turn your head, and the image will react accordingly when you do so.
Even better? The glasses will work with a ton of different devices, thanks to the fact that they connect through a simple USB-C cable through DisplayPort. That means that you’ll be able to connect them to your phone, laptop, or even a gaming console, to see the image projected in front of your eyes. The glasses also have Bose-designed speakers in them, and buttons to control display mode and audio.
We’re still a ways off from wireless smart glasses with displays built into them that look like traditional glasses. But if you’re not a fan of the audio-only smart glasses, like the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, then these might be for you, especially when it comes to portable productivity.
The Xreal One smart glasses are available for $499 via xreal.com.
