The augmented reality revolution is finally happening, years after the failed experiment called Google Glass. While we’re waiting for Apple to officially announce its own AR/VR glasses, Xiaomi has jumped the gun and announced a very interesting product - the Xiaomi Mijia Glasses Camera.
These smart glasses combine the looks of a regular pair of glasses with some pretty high-end technology. Looking at the gadget it’s plain to see that Xiaomi has gone full-nerd with this model, rather than trying to come up with something fashionable.
Apart from the Robocop look, these glasses weigh a hefty 100 grams, which might not sound like much, when we’re talking about a chocolate bar (even though those calories are sticking like crazy), but when you wear 100 grams on your face, it’s a completely different matter.
Xiaomi Mijia Glasses hardware specifications
The left side of the Mijia Glasses houses two cameras - a 50MP main camera, and what looks like an 8MP periscope telephoto snapper. The latter offers 5x optical zoom (15x digital), it comes with optical image stabilization, and it has an aperture of f/3.4.
On the right side there’s more nerdy stuff going on - a MicroLED screen made by Sony. This thing boasts 3,000 nits of peak brightness and has a crazy pixel density of 3,281 ppi. The hardware showdown continues with a Snapdragon 8-series chipset inside (probably needed to drive all those pixels, and offer high-resolution video recording though the dual camera system).
Further down the specs we find 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, a dual-band WiFi chip, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 1,020 mAh battery, supporting 10W magnetic charging. According to Xiaomi, you can charge these from 0 to 80% in just 30 minutes, and one full charge will last you 100 minutes of video recording.
There are a couple of caveats here. First, these glasses are China-only, at least for now. The other thing is that we’re talking about a crowdfunding campaign, meaning we’re not sure if these will even see the lights of mass-production robots assembling them. Nevertheless, it’s a very interesting product that's priced CNY2,499 ($370) for the early backers, and CNY2,699 ($399) when (if) the product hits the stores officially.
Xiaomi Mijia Glasses Camera specs at a glance:
Xiaomi Mijia Glasses Camera
Weight
100 grams
Display
Sony microLED 1,800 nits brightness (3,000 nits peak brightness) 3,281 ppi pixel density
All this may seem like snake oil but actually, Xiaomi did introduce the concept last year. At the time, we thought it was a PR stunt meant to draw media attention to Xiaomi but it seems that the company has actually launched a crowdfunding campaign to try and bring the idea to the masses (starting tomorrow at 10:00 Beijing time). These glasses are supposedly build by Seiko (if we're to believe the Weibo post), and they've been in development for at least two years.
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There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding such products, and even if the crowdfunding campaign turns out successful there are no guarantees that the Mijia Glasses will even found their way outside China. Another thing that raises eyebrows is the price - at $399 it's a real bargain, given the latest rumors about Apple's own AR/VR headset costing thousands of dollars. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Would you wear such a thing on your face (if it costs just $399)?
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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