Finally! These AI smart glasses are giving me a feature Ive been desperate
for the Meta Ray-Bans to get since launch

Date:
Thu, 26 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Description:
Meta beware! These new AI smart glasses are better than my Ray-Bans in nearly every way, but I know Ill never own a pair.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Xiaomi announced AI smart glasses They share a lot of similarities with Meta's Ray-Bans, even priced similarly Xiaomi's specs have some unique features,
like electrochromic dimming

Chinese tech brand Xiaomi isnt about to let Android XR , Meta , and others race ahead of it in the smart glasses world as it just announced its AI glasses and while theyre awfully similiar to Metas specs, they offer a few upgrades including one Ive been begging Meta to add since launch.

Word of warning, however, while theyre set to cost about as much as Metas specs, many of us reading this wont be snagging a pair, as right now it looks like theyll be exclusive to Xiaomis home turf: China.

At a glance, they look very similar to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses I use regularly. They offer a stylish frame in a handful of color options thats thicker than normal but still fairly sleek.

They boast similar hardware, such as a 12MP camera which can apparently capture 2K video at 30FPS, built-in microphones for capturing what youre saying, and open ear speakers for audio playback. (Image credit: Xiaomi)

You can also use the glasses hands-free, getting its AI assistant to snap photos for you or answer your queries and again, just like Metas specs,
these Xiaomi glasses capture an image to use as context for your questions like identify this flower.

But right away, there are some key differences.

At the end of one arm, you can find a USB-C port allowing you to charge the
AI glasses while wearing them Metas specs only charge in their case.

They offer a bigger battery too, with Xiaomi promising 8.6 hours or around eight hours, 36 minutes of use between charges.

You can also use the glasses for paying vendors if they offer the ability to pay via scanning a QR code. It might not be something you see often, but its
a very common payment method in China.

Crucially, however, these glasses offer electrochromic dimming. This is the feature I think is coolest. Enjoying the shades (Image credit: Xiaomi)

For smart glasses to be a success, they need to be something you can wear all the time.

Imagine if your phone only worked in certain weather.

Tech-wise, you can use smart glasses in all the same conditions, but the lenses you have will decide how practical that is.

Clear lenses are perfect for cloudier days, while shaded lenses are a lot
more suitable for bright sunny conditions, but a non-starter for darker weather or indoor use.

Since swapping my Meta Ray-Bans, which were always shaded, for a pair with transition lenses, I use them much more frequently because I can rely on them in a broader range of weather conditions. Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have a lot of lens options (Image credit: Meta)

Electrochromic dimming offers this same practicality, but instead of being determined by the weather, Xiaomis smart glasses can be darkened or
brightened manually by sliding your finger along their arm.

In many ways, its about as useful as transition lenses, but for me, electrochromic dimming wins because you have more personal control over the shading, allowing you to alter your vision at will.

Though it is a close race, especially because the features look to cost about the same.

While the base Xiaomi glasses cost 1999 similar to the $299 / 299 / AU$449 youd pay for the base Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses they dont have electrochromic dimming. The cheapest pair with the feature are 2699, which is around the same price as the $379 / 379 / AU$539 transition lens equipped
Meta Ray-Bans.

So for now Ill be sticking with my transition lens smart glasses, but Ill be watching this space as color changing lens tech becomes such an essential feature, it needs to be included with even the base model though for now
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/finally- these-ai-smart-glasses-are-giving-me-a-feature-ive-been-desperate-for-the-meta -ray-bans-to-get-since-launch


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