While we have seen companies such as Google and Snapchat try to release AR-enabled wearables without great success, the China-based mobile tech company 'Oppo' believes it knows what went wrong. The 'Oppo Air Glass' is a compact AR-enabled wearable that sits on the side of the head of the wearer while extending in front of one eye. In contrast to connected face wearables that have been overly ambitious, the Air Glass boasts a shortlist of refined features. Due to this, Oppo has named this product an 'assisted reality' product, as opposed to a reality-enhancing product.
The device connects to a smartphone app named 'Smart Glass' which allows for customizing certain settings on the Air Glass, such as brightness. Aside from using a smartphone, though, the Air Glass can be controlled through motion, voice, and touch directly from the device itself. The Air Glass features a battery that lasts up to 3 hours in use or 40 hours of idle and the frame will be available in full black or half black and half silver.
Connected AR-Enabled Wearables
The 'Oppo Air Glass' Features an AR Display Right on Your Face
Trend Themes
1. Assisted Reality Wearables - The Oppo Air Glass introduces a new category of wearables focusing on smaller, more refined features that assist rather than enhance reality.
2. Gesture and Voice Control Technology - The Air Glass allows for gesture and voice control, opening up opportunities for innovative ways of interacting with technology.
3. Ar-enabled Wearable Battery Life - The Air Glass battery life of up to 3 hours in use or 40 hours of idle signals a potential trend in AR-enabled wearables becoming more practical for everyday use.
Industry Implications
1. Consumer Electronics - The Oppo Air Glass is an exemplar product of how wearable technology can evolve to have smaller, more refined features, with opportunities such as gesture and voice control integrated into future designs.
2. Augmented Reality - The Air Glass is a step towards making AR-enabled wearables more practical and accessible, highlighting the potential for companies in the AR industry to incorporate the technology in everyday products.
3. Smartphone Apps - The Smart Glass app that connects to the Air Glass introduces a new platform for mobile developers to build apps that allow for customized controls on a wearable device.