Xiaomi has unveiled a pair of connected glasses, the Xiaomi Smart Glasses, which it believes could replace the smartphone. But do not put your smartphone in the trash anytime soon, as it will probably take some time before it is released. The Chinese tech giant unveiled its high-tech specifications in a video (above).
Weighing a light weight of 51 grams and comprising 497 separate components, Xiaomi’s Android-powered connected glasses can display messages and notifications, make calls, navigate, capture photos and translate text by overlaying the necessary information on a 0.13-inch MicroLED display. MicroLED is a self-emissive display technology that is widely regarded as the natural successor to OLED. However, its cost remains prohibitive and it has yet to be rolled out in more than a handful of commercial products.
If you already squint at the mere thought of trying to read messages or browse photos on a screen described by Xiaomi as ” smaller than a grain of rice “, rest assured, the specially designed technology of the glasses makes it possible to create a much larger screen right in front of your eyes. However, the downside is that the “complicated optical structures” of the device mean that it only offers a monochrome display (so, for most people, probably not a smartphone replacement).
As for the appearance, the new device from Xiaomi seems at first glance quite analogous to an ordinary pair of glasses. The 5 – megapixel camera, for example, is neatly hidden at the end of an arm, while the main technology-including a quad – core ARM processor, battery, touchpad, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules-is hidden in and around the rest of the device.
Xiaomi’s connected glasses are packed with features and offer a design that many would be happy to wear on their noses.
The product is not ready yet
With the product not yet ready, it’s almost as if Xiaomi’s announcement is an effort to generate additional publicity for its technology event this week, at which it is expected to unveil a large number of new smartphones and other products — indeed, the fact that it is taking place around the same time as another event hosted by Apple means that Xiaomi may have trouble getting the spotlight on it this week.
After Google’s failure with its glasses, a growing number of companies, including Huawei, Amazon and Facebook, have embarked on the adventure of connected glasses by offering their own version of this futuristic product.
