Ray-Ban Meta glasses are considered one of the surprise successes of the past year: according to Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica, they were the most frequently sold in 60 percent of the company’s stores in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Third quarter 2024 model. And this is despite the fact that Meta AI is not yet available in the EU and some of the glasses’ AI functions cannot be used here at all.
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Now, as we know, success brings competitors to the stage. And at the official kick-off event, the CES unveiling, it became really clear that there will be multiple options of Ray-Ban Meta glasses on display in Las Vegas in the coming days. All manufacturers of the options shown at the unveiling focused their presentations on an AI translation function, which enables the wearer to understand the other person even if they don’t speak their language.
You can see where the text will appear on the lens with a bit of material on the surface.
(Image: Nico Jurran/C’T)
The best first impression was made by the “Rokid Glasses” model of the Chinese manufacturer of the same name, developed together with the glasses manufacturer Boulogne. Unlike Meta Glasses, the user not only receives information through voice output, but also sees the translation in the lenses due to augmented reality (AR). This is done so cleverly that the display can be easily read through the lenses of the glasses – and without the other person knowing anything. However, it has the disadvantage that the lenses cannot be easily replaced with corrective lenses. Rather, corrective lenses should be placed in front of the rocid glass lens using a clip-on construction (as seen by eye).
The Rokid glasses (like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses) are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 platform. By integrating Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen large language model, the model supports AI functions such as search, object recognition, navigation, and health reminders, in addition to translation into multiple languages. According to Rokid, these glasses weighing 49 grams can last up to four hours on a single battery charge. According to the manufacturer the glasses can be charged ten times using the charging case, with each full charge taking 20 minutes.
Rokid did not disclose pricing for the AI Glasses at CES, which are scheduled to hit the market in the second quarter of 2025. Earlier there was talk of 345 US dollars.
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Singapore-based company Geez Labs also relies on AR for its “Holiday Glasses” model, but uses a tiny optical module that can be unobtrusively integrated into the frames of normal-sized glasses. “Inconspicuous” is also the key word when it comes to operation: while other smart glasses are controlled by touch on the arm or via voice, Geez Labs has also developed a ring that can be used to control the smart glasses with the fingers. Can also be used to control. Furthermore, AI must work “proactively,” meaning it recognizes the user’s needs and provides support without explicitly asking for it. According to the creator, “Proactiva.ai” aims to provide subtle motivational suggestions during heated conversations or check facts in real time during a conversation.
Geese Labs’ Holiday Glasses: The little green dot on the frame is the optical module.
(Image: Nico Jurran/C’T)
The thing that doesn’t really fit with the “no one notices” approach is that you have to lean quite hard to the top right to get the display – which is smaller than the Rokid glasses – in your field of vision. Does matter. According to the manufacturer, the resolution of the micro display is 400×400 pixels. Since the optical module works independently of the actual lens, you can easily use corrective lenses. When it comes to battery life, the manufacturer promises 12 hours on a single charge.
According to Geese Labs, the Holiday Glasses will cost $489 and go on sale in late March/early April. However, if you take a closer look at the company’s website, you’ll notice that a proper Kickstarter campaign is scheduled to launch in late January.
Like Meta Glasses, only better
The Lumos model, which is the most similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses among the three smart glasses, is on the same level in terms of market launch. There is no display as such, but the competing model is considered superior to the model in practically all technical aspects. According to the manufacturer, its AI glasses feature a 16-megapixel camera for the first time, which can be used to shoot good 4K images and 1080p videos even in poor lighting conditions. The integrated speakers will provide “Hi-Fi Open Air Audio”.
The processor used here is a quad-core processor from Unisoc (probably W517) running at 2 GHz, which, according to the manufacturer, beats even Qualcomm’s AR1. Lumos relies on ChatGPT-4o for AI – and insists that its use in the EU is problem-free. The integrated 450 mAh battery already provides 40 hours of standby time, as well as the option to connect a 6,500 mAh power bank to the collar.
We would have loved to test the Lumos model at the CES unveiling, but there was no working model available during our visit to the booth. So the only assumption left is that the AI glasses, which weigh 49 grams according to the manufacturer, are no more comfortable than the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Here too a crowdfunding campaign will be run at the end of January.
Heise Median is the Official Media Partner of CES 2025.
(mho)
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