Skip to main content

Xiaomi unveils smart glasses that it claims could replace the smartphone

Xiaomi has unveiled a pair of smart glasses that it claims could replace the smartphone. But don’t trash your handset just yet as a release is likely to be some time away.

The Chinese tech giant unveiled the high-tech specs in a slick video (below) released on Monday, September 13.

Weighing a light 51 grams and comprising 497 separate components, Xiaomi’s Android-powered smart glasses can display messages and notifications, make calls, navigate, capture photos, and translate text by overlaying the necessary information onto a 0.13-inch microLED display.

Recommended Videos

Now, if you’re already squinting at the mere thought of trying to read messages or browse photos on a display described by Xiaomi as “smaller than a grain of rice,” rest assured, the glasses’ specially designed technology works to create a much larger display right in front of your eyes. The drawback, however, is that the device’s “complicated optical structures” mean that it only offers a monochrome display (so for most folks, probably not quite a smartphone replacement).

As for looks, Xiaomi’s new device at first glance seems pretty similar to a regular pair of glasses. The 5-megapixel camera, for example, is neatly hidden at the end of an arm, while its main technology — among it a quad-core ARM processor, battery, touchpad, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules — is concealed in and around the rest of the device.

Xiaomi’s smart glasses certainly seem packed with features and offer a design that many would be happy to perch on their nose, but the apparent absence of even a working prototype means it’s hard to get excited about them at this stage.

With the product not yet ready, it’s almost as if Xiaomi’s announcement is an effort to generate extra publicity for its tech event this week when it’s expected to unveil a slew of new phones and other products — indeed, the fact that it’s taking place at about the same time as another event put on by a rather more prominent tech company means Xiaomi may have to fight hard for coverage in the coming days.

After Google’s failed effort with Glass, a growing number of companies — Huawei, Amazon, and Facebook among them — have been tentatively stepping into the smart glasses space with their own take on the futuristic product. But most of the current crop of high-tech specs either have limited functionality or need to be tethered to another device, which is an interesting proposition if you want to wear them on the move.

Xiaomi clearly envisions a more advanced product, so we hope it can offer up additional information at this week’s event, including price and availability. We’ll keep you posted.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
An Apple smart ring could be coming soon
A concept design of an Apple smart ring, showing a screen with exercise information on it,

It’s no secret that Apple has been eyeing smart ring technology for a while. Now, it seems the market is ripe, and Apple is ready to go beyond the patent stage. According to a report from the Electronic Times, Apple’s development process is closer to giving us a market-ready product.

“It seems likely that commercialization is imminent,” says the report, citing an insider with knowledge of the supply chain. Unfortunately, the report doesn’t say exactly when we can expect an “Apple Ring” to hit the retail shelves, but it shouldn’t be too long, given the current status of the market.

Read more
If this is what an Apple smart ring could look like, I need it right now
An Apple smart ring concept by Jonas Daehnert

Forget the Apple Vision Pro. What many users really might want to see is an Apple smart ring. A new concept shows what one of these first-generation wearables could look like. Consider me sold, Apple; where can I lay down my credit card?

There have been rumors in recent years about the possibility of Apple releasing a smart ring that would compete with the Oura Ring and the long-rumored Samsung Galaxy Ring. If Apple were to release such a device, it would likely track various health metrics to help users understand their sleep patterns, activity levels, and overall health. Essentially, it would be like an Apple Watch for your finger.

Read more
I used a new type of smartphone that could replace Android
Two phones running Apostrophy OS, sitting next to each other on a chair.

When you buy a phone today, your first decision is to decide which operating system you want: Android or iOS. We've seen other platforms come and go over the years, from Windows Phone to Palm OS, but Android and iOS remain your two sole choices in 2024.

One of the last things I saw at CES 2024 earlier this month was a smartphone operating system that's trying to be that third choice between Android and iOS. It's called Apostrophy OS (also referred to as AphyOS), and I got to play around with it while also chatting with Apostrophy CEO Steve Cistulli to learn about the could-be Android and iOS alternative.
What is Apostrophy OS?

Read more