The last time we saw or heard anything about Smart Glasses was with the Google Glass which quickly faded into the ether. This year, with the rise of the metaverse and the world moving towards AR (augmented reality) and XR (extended reality), OPPO is bringing its take on smart glasses. Unlike Google Glass though, OPPO’s Air Glass comes with a specific set of functions.
The OPPO Air Glass main purpose is the feed the user with information that will help them get on with their day. To do this, OPPO has designed a minimalistic interface that feeds the user pertinent information like weather, calendar, and navigation when in use. It’s also not a standalone device; instead, the Air Glass needs to be paired to either a smartphone or smartwatch to function. It currently only functions with OPPO Smartphones and the OPPO Watch with the Smart Glass App.
Minimalistically Designed for Functionality
OPPO’s new smart glass is a sleek, modular device that attaches to a specially designed frame. The attachment contains all the smart glass components including a new mico projector designed by OPPO. The Spark Micro Projector projects the minimalist visual interface of the Air Glass. The 30g body of the Air Glass also serves as an interaction surface. You’ll be able to swipe through the interface with your hands and also gestures.
The Air Glass runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform. With the computing ability of the platform, it’s also able to do on the fly translations. It can pick up audio and translate it into text that is displayed on the monocle’s wavelength lens. The Air Glass module is designed to be sleek and light. OPPO claims that the design draws inspiration from feathers. The monocle, however, is designed with inspiration from a cicada’s wings.
When it comes to battery life, the wearable isn’t blowing anyone out of the water. It has 3 hours of battery life on a single charge. That said, when we asked OPPO about the limited battery, the company highlighted that the Air Glass isn’t meant to be a device you use all the time. It’s meant to complement your ecosystem of devices by feeding you pertinent information. If you need more than 3 hours of battery life, the module can be detached and charged in its dock.
There isn’t any indication yet whether the wearable will be available commercially just yet. However, it felt and looked like something that’s ready for market. So, it wouldn’t surprise us if we saw this in the wild sooner rather than later. Together with the Air Glass, OPPO also showed off a prototype of their retractable camera during their INNO Day event.
