In the wake of ChatGPT’s glory, Oppo’s Air Glass 3 prototype is the most recent device to incorporate AI. During Monday’s announcement at Mobile World Congress 2024, the Chinese tech giant Oppo highlighted the “smart” component of smart glasses with its newest model, the Air Glass 3.
These new glasses, which can be controlled by Oppo’s AI assistant, are the latest example of how big tech companies are trying to expand the usage of generative AI beyond ChatGPT. The Air Glass 3 prototype is backwards-compatible with Oppo phones that run ColorOS 13 and later, so it’s safe to assume that it will likely be reserved for Oppo phones. As is usual with prototype devices, Oppo left out details about the Air Glass 3’s price and release date in their press announcement.
The glasses have a built-in voice assistant that uses Oppo’s AndesGPT big language model. Basically, it’s like ChatGPT, but for glasses. Unfortunately, the glasses can’t function without being linked to a smartphone app. This is probably due to the fact that the processing power required is too high for a lightweight set of spectacles. Although Oppo mentions that the AI assistant is now only accessible in China, users will still be able to utilize it to ask queries and do searches.
Generative AI has started popping up in all sorts of places after OpenAI’s ChatGPT became viral. It’s now in search engines, productivity apps, and smartphone software. In addition to TCL and Meta, Oppo is among the many tech companies that think smart glasses will be the next big thing for customers to interact with AI-powered assistants. With the release of the Vision Pro headset by Apple in early 2024, augmented reality has been receiving a lot of attention.
Oppo’s Air Glass 3:
According to photos supplied by Oppo, the Air Glass 3 appears identical to a regular pair of glasses, exactly like the company’s earlier smart glasses. However, the business asserts that it has created a novel resin waveguide that, when passed through, may lessen the impact of the infamous “rainbow effect” caused by light refraction.
The creators of smart glasses, Vuzix, explain that the waveguides are responsible for transmitting virtual pictures to the eye. Oppo says these glasses will boost color and clarity, and if they deliver, you should see it for yourself. Oppo claims that the glasses can achieve a peak brightness of over 1,000 nits, which is comparable to the brightness of certain smartphone screens.
The prototype of Oppo’s Air Glass 3 is 50 grams heavy, which is about the same as a regular pair of glasses. A typical pair of eyeglasses weighs somewhere between twenty-five and fifty grams, with some types weighing as little as six grams, according to glasses vendor Glasses.com.
Oppo also boasts about the high-quality audio of the glasses, claiming that they employ a method called “reverse sound field technology” to shield users from prying ears during private calls. Oppo claims these glasses are the first of their kind to include four microphones, which allow for clearer audio capture when on the phone.
The glasses have navigational touch sensors on the sides, and according to Oppo, you can use them to do things like browse images, make calls, and play music. Future updates will include the ability to translate text and see medical records, among other things.
Oppo is placing a large bet on two emerging technologies—generative AI and smart glasses—with the release of the Air Glass 3. It will need to demonstrate the practicality of high-tech spectacles to justify their placement on your face, much like its rivals. Additionally, it considers AI to be a component of it, according to the Air Glass 3.
