Xiaomi showcases its new wireless augmented reality glasses
Although augmented reality (AR) is an exciting concept, it is unclear whether sufficient computational power exists to make such a fantastic idea a reality. Unperturbed, Xiaomi has unveiled its Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, a small augmented reality headset based on the Quest Pro’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 processor. According to the company, these oversized sunglasses are an elegant way to combine the real and digital worlds without, most importantly, requiring a physical tether to a smartphone.
To reduce weight, Xiaomi used carbon fiber and magnesium-titanium alloy for the hardware, which weighed 126 grams (4.4 ounces). Additionally, it has a custom-made silicon-oxygen anode battery, which Xiaomi claims will reduce the user’s physical burden overall. This user disagrees, stating from personal experience that anything more than 100 grams pressing on your nose is still excessive for prolonged use.)
Regarding the displays, the headset has two microOLED displays connected to two “free-form, light-guiding” prisms that are so dense with pixels that your eyes won’t be able to see the squares. Additionally, the company claims that you can achieve a peak brightness of 1,200 nits and will experience less brightness loss than with other close-up displays. Additionally, for the sake of immersion, the electrochromic front lenses automatically dim when you need to focus on the virtual world.
A novel form of user interaction, in which our hands can be used to manipulate the digital world, is said to be made possible by the advanced hand-tracking. In a concept video, a wearer looks at a smart light and flicks a virtual switch that is above the light itself to turn it off. In the spirit of Minority Report, users will also be able to flick and tap around the internet (or video) and possibly even use these for productivity.
These glasses are also a part of Qualcomm’s own plans to improve XR devices by using its Snapdragon Spaces platform. When paired with a device that is compatible, like the new Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi’s hardware promises low latency so that you won’t notice there is no wire. Additionally, the company states that it will “work closely with developers to expedite the arrival of augmented reality,” which is crucial in the still-developing sector.
Since this is primarily a concept device at this point, neither the price nor the availability of it have been disclosed. As a result, unless you have a lot of patience, we wouldn’t recommend opening a separate savings account to save money to buy one of these.
