- Kyle Chua
Xiaomi Unveils Incredible Wireless AR Glasses Concept
Xiaomi turned some heads at this year's Mobile World Congress, the biggest mobile industry trade event in the world, announcing a pair of wireless augmented reality (AR) glasses that are not only lightweight but also feature a "retina-level" display.
Dubbed the Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, the prototype uses a pair of micro OLED panels with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits and "free-form, light-guiding prisms” to seamlessly blend the real world with the digital. The front of the lenses is even electrochromic, allowing them to adjust your viewing experience depending on the lighting conditions. You can, for instance, activate a blackout mode that dims your peripheral view, which helps in making your viewing more immersive.
The glasses connect wirelessly to your smartphone, meaning you can move around freely while wearing them. And, despite not being tethered, Xiaomi says there's barely any lag or delay between inputs and what appears on the display. That's thanks to the company's own communication link, which has a latency that can go as low as 50ms.
Powering the concept device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 chipset, the same one found in Meta's Quest Pro headset. It leverages Snapdragon Spaces, a mixed reality (XR) development platform, to enable immersive experiences while optimising performance and battery.
The glasses also feature hand-tracking, where hand gestures can control the digital world's interface and its elements. For example, you can move windows by simply dragging them to view. The concept video for the glasses also shows a wearer turning off a smart light by flicking a virtual switch.
What's perhaps most impressive is that Xiaomi managed to pack all these cutting-edge features and tech in a relatively compact and lightweight frame weighing 126g. The company said it crafted the device from a magnesium-titanium alloy and carbon fibre material to minimise any pressure or load on the wearer's face. It also has a custom silicon-oxygen anode battery that further lightens the load.
Since the Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition is still a concept, there was no mention of pricing and availability. And going by concept devices from other companies, there’s always a chance it might never hit the market. That, of course, would be a shame as this Xiaomi prototype shows a lot of potential in realising the potential of AR.
Xiaomi at Mobile World Congress unveiled a pair of wireless augmented reality (AR) glasses that are not only lightweight but also feature a "retina-level" display.
Dubbed the Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, the prototype uses a pair of micro OLED panels with a peak brightness of 1,200nits and "free-form, light-guiding prisms” to seamlessly blend the real world with the digital.
Powering the concept device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 chipset, the same one found in Meta's Quest Pro headset.
Since the device is still a concept, there was no mention of pricing and availability.