Facebook Jumps into the Smart Glasses Arena
Tech giant to bring hands-free displays to consumers
Along with Luxottica, the makers of Ray-Ban, Facebook recently announced the future release of a pair of ‘Smart Glasses' they are positioning for the consumer market.
Facebook has confirmed the spectacles will not be classified as a true augmented reality (AR) device, as it won’t feature an integrated display of any kind. This suggests that fair comparisons to the device would include Snap Spectacles or Amazon’s Echo Frames.
These devices are great for taking pictures and video recordings, and we’re excited to see how Facebook will evolve their offering for consumers in the months to come.
READ: Vuzix a Global Leader in Assisted and Augmented Reality Technology
On the other hand, Vuzix Corporation has been in the near-eye display market for over 20 years. While our products target medical and industrial use cases, our Vuzix Blade® hit the prosumer/industrial AR Smart Glasses market back in 2019.
These glasses have an integrated, vibrant see-through waveguide display with an on-board android processor and camera. What does this mean? The glasses do more than record audio and video.
Unlike the Vuzix Blade®, Facebook’s upcoming Smart Glasses won’t feature an integrated display.
Apps can be loaded onto the glasses for countless experiences (just like on a smartphone), and can be controlled hands-free with voice activated controls. They cast a digital projection over the real world, providing unprecedented access to location-aware information, data collection, remote support communications with both audio and video, and more.
Plus, they come in your prescription.
Learn more about the Vuzix Blade® here.
An industry continues to rise
Facebook’s entry into the Smart Glasses market brings a welcome share of awareness to this matured technology category.
As Facebook refines their consumer product focus, Vuzix will continue to improve and break boundaries of our own in the industrial augmented reality space. The more companies that put their hat in the ring, the better, bringing the industry more prominence and recognition.
For now, Vuzix will continue to lead. It will be a long time before any other company can offer a wearable display that boasts the Vuzix Blade’s features.
It’ll take even longer before a competitor can do it in such a fashionable and compact pair of Smart Glasses.