In 2024, technology isn’t just large immobile pieces of tech that stay in one place like a computer or television. They have been made a lot smaller, and easier to transport so we can access the internet and social media from wherever we are. It started with smartphones and wireless earphones, then we saw the introduction of smartwatches and smart rings and now, it’s time to consider other wearable technology ideas like smart glasses.
We have nicknamed smart glasses ‘Vision Technology’ because smart glasses not only help us connect to the digital realm but also help with our vision and eyesight. There are already quite a few vision tech products available, so we thought we’d look at the inevitable trend and see where it could lead within the next 10 years. Let’s get into it.
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What exactly do smart glasses do?
Vision technology can come in all different forms with different uses. Some allow us to take photos and videos using our eyes, others present digital information within our line of sight and others just help to make eyesight clearer. These models can work as extensions for remote controls, phones, displays and more.
At the current time, they aren’t as common as other wearable tech like smartwatches and smart rings, but we know within a couple of years with the way technology exploration continues, we are sure to see new variants of vision tech hitting our stores.
What is an example of a smart eyewear?
There are, however, a few current vision tech models available to purchase. Although there are only a few, let’s have a look at them, see how they succeeded and how they failed, to see what tech companies need to improve and change to make this tech a success.
What do Ray-Ban smart glasses do?
Ray-Ban smart glasses were originally introduced in 2021, they take panoramic, high-quality photos and videos with an ultra-wide 12-megapixel lens. They look like ordinary glasses and sunglasses and even work like normal glasses and sunglasses; they are prescription lens-compatible! Listen to music and calls without disconnecting from what’s around you, perfect for staying attentive at all times. Since the first release in 2021, 3 generations of the Ray-Ban smart glasses have been released with the 3rd generation set to release in 2025.
What do Snapchat glasses do?
With the growing popularity of AR and Snapchat in 2016, it was never going to be long until billion-dollar company Snapchat came out with its wearable tech to capture your memories. In 2017, they released the Snap Lens, an augmented reality experience for snap users to capture their memories on the go, without their phones.
The glasses are no longer as popular, with sales slowly fizzling out in 2018 (possibly due to their $100+ price range), they were described as having ‘no Rx range restrictions’ and slowly lost popularity as people found it pointless documenting their memories on the Snap Lens camera because it wasn’t as good quality as the smartphone cameras themselves. Another thing people weren’t keen on with this tech was its actual design. Unlike the Ray-Bans, these Lens’ didn’t look as appealing, with their circular framing and large yellow camera outline that didn’t look natural out and about on the street.
What do the XREAL glasses do?
Unlike the other two models, the XREAL Glasses don’t use smart tech to take photos or answer calls, they offer additional features allowing you to work from wherever on the go! Watch presentations, stream and more without the additional bulk of wires that you need with a normal laptop. They look just like traditional sunglasses and can attach to your phone, computer or even a games console to send data across. They allow an immersive experience for whatever needs you like.
Why is Google Glass discontinued?
Now discontinued, Google Glass was a voice-motion-controlled device that displayed information in users’ direct field of vision. It had a small touchpad and projector to put information out for the user in the real world and also had Bluetooth and HDR for a better experience. Users can film, make calls and more using the tech, however, it was quickly pulled off the market in 2016, 1 year after being originally released.
What is the future of smart glasses?
With all the current smart glasses tech available, it makes us wonder what could we see in the future. Most of these products were discontinued because their tech simply wasn’t sharp or impressive enough. However in current times, tech quality has significantly improved, meaning this shouldn’t be a problem as much. Also, some smart glasses didn’t offer varied prescriptive lens’, or a prescriptive lens at all, which made them useless. In the future we hope with the improvement of technology and the inclusion of all glasses lens’, we could see a tech that’s just as useful and popular as smartwatches and other wearables.
Related blog: Google Glass Explained
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Conclusion:
Considering checking out some wearables? We have plenty on our website including smartwatches from top brands like Samsung and Apple. Why not check out our smartwatch blogs, we have plenty on our website, take a look now!
1 comment
Hi,
Do you think smart glasses will become a mainstream product in the near future, or are there still significant challenges in terms of usability and design? What improvements would you like to see in these devices to make them more appealing to everyday users?
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