Oppo unveiled last December, during Oppo Inno Day, a new pair of augmented reality glasses. We were able to take them in hand on the brand’s stand at the MWC in Barcelona.
A light and comfortable device
The Air Glass, from Oppo, has a sober and compact design, close to a classic pair of glasses. Logical since augmented reality is obtained thanks to a small white or black external module which attaches to one of the two branches. It is equipped with a tiny integrated Micro LED projector, called Spark, and a microphone.
It is planned eventually to be able to magnetize this module on any pair of glasses, so that people with corrective lenses can have access to it. In the meantime, we’re not going to lie to you, we saw blurry all the time of our handling. Is it because of our presbyopia? It looks like we weren’t the only one. A little handicapping all the same to read the information.
The Air Glasses are connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth. It is the phone that spins content and provides Internet connectivity. Lightened to the maximum and devoid of any bulky component, the module weighs only 30 grams. Which makes them the glasses lighter than expected.
A reduced projection field
Depending on whether you magnetize the module to the right or to the left, you will therefore read the information displayed in front of a single eye. The projection field is limited to a small square within one of the lenses of the glasses. On the one hand, it forces your eyes to focus on a very small area. But on the other, it remains extremely discreet. The information thus blends into the environment around you.
Much has been said about the choice of the striking green color of the characters to match the Oppo brand. A little surprising at first glance, this choice is not so unpleasant and in any case not tiring for the eyes.
Navigation requires sliding your fingers over the branch where the module is magnetized. Like a kind of touch bar that is reminiscent of the late Google Glass.
Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to enter directly into an application. It is therefore necessary to scroll through them all systematically before arriving at the one of your choice. This somewhat detracts from the fluidity of the experience. We could not test the voice command but it is available in China.
Finally, note the customizable gesture control that allows you to choose a specific gesture to control the glasses.
From teleprompter to machine translation
We had a brief overview of the accessible content. By activating the glasses, the date, time, weather, smartphone notifications are first displayed. You can also retrieve data from your health application or your physical activity via your smartphone, but also via your smart watch, like the number of steps taken, for example.
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Several applications caught our attention. There is the teleprompter which allows you to read a text, but still requires pressing the arm of the mount to scroll it. Sound guidance of a route, which does not yet work with Google Maps, is another. No need to go through headphones to know your way when riding a bike or to keep your nose on your smartphone while walking.
There is also the translation app which currently only works in English and Chinese. But the prospect of hearing the instant translation in your ear of what someone in front of you is saying in a foreign language is downright stunning.
Ultimately, the only drawback to listening to information or music is that the sound source only comes from one ear, the one close to the module. In an extremely noisy context, not sure that we hear satisfactorily.
Glasses that open up the field of possibilities
The expected autonomy is three hours with the mini-projector continuously active, which is still low. But it is possible to partially recharge the device in 30 minutes thanks to a very small charging station to take with you.
The Air Glasses are attractive because they open the field of possibilities, but it will probably still take a little time before reaching a more successful version. The navigation remains to be improved and the content to be enriched.
However, the main blocking point for us is the fact that the sound and the information are only concentrated on one side of the face. We should see on daily use if this does not cause some fatigue or discomfort. In any case, this will necessarily limit the power of augmented reality. We dream of an application that would show us historical information when we walk on a tourist site anywhere within sight. One could also imagine superimposing the drawing and the name of all the constellations of a starry sky. But all this will be impossible if the field of projection remains so limited.
Air Glasses are currently only available in China. Produced in very small quantities, they are sold at a price of around 700 dollars. The forthcoming commercialization on a larger scale gives hope for a reduction in the price. It remains to be seen whether they will be launched in Europe. In any case, there is no date communicated at this stage.