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Google Glass competitors are starting to come to light as wearable technology becomes more popular. It seems the first one to beat Google Glass to the (mass) market is the Vuzix M100 smart glass, which has just become available for pre-order. It will be officially released this month, but you will have to pay $1,000 to get your hands on one.
As expected, smart glasses will not be affordable for a while, but the M100 might be a worthy product to consider. This smart glass is essentially an Android smartphone without the cellphone antenna. It runs Android on its own, sporting everything a smartphone features.
The Vuzix M100 comes packed with all the internals, including GPS, a gyroscope, a camera, touch sensors, a processor, RAM memory, bluetooth and all the other goodies. It’s essentially a mini tablet in the shape of a smart glass. In fact, the company’s description is that it looks exactly like a smartphone would if places 10-12 inches in front of your eyes.
We got to test this device at CES 2013 and have to say we are not impressed. Not because of the device, it actually looks like a rather sweet unit, but because Vuzix was not able to keep its promises. First and foremost: the device was supposed to cost $500 upon release. To make matters a bit worse, release date was scheduled for last summer. Not only were they late, but they doubled the retail price!
It could still be a good purchase if you are willing to try these out. It also connects to your smartphone so it won’t be a completely stand-alone product. Though it will probably do more (on its own) than Google Glass does.
Is it better than Google Glass, though? In some ways it is, but Google Glass will probably take off before the Vuzix M100. Glass will more than likely have more support and cost less (upon release). We are still not sure, though, so it’s a gamble.
What do you think? Are you convinced with this $1000 smart glass? Will you wait for Google Glass instead? Maybe you just don’t care much for wearable technology. Either way, let us know what you think in the comments!
That is Photoshopped on that hot lady’s face
Internet win to the person who posts a pic with both glass and this vuzix thing. Bonus for the galaxy gear watch too!!!
I have a Google Glass and soon to receive my Omate Smartwatch. I’ll probably get these if they make it for the left eye so I can have one per eye. Does that qualify me? :D
No. My opinion is no.
I think this sort of thing may take off once there are 5 million cheap Chinese knockoffs
I’d use it if someone gave me one.
What mechanism is used to actually keep it from just spinning in/around your ear and ending up constantly in the wrong place?
One of the major design decisions for Glass was to have the device wrap around (like glasses do) to prevent quick head motions from flinging the device off of your person. Additionally, the device probably isn’t that light. That’s a lot of weight (and therefore stress) on one ear. Glass has at three resting points: both ears and the bridge of your nose.
Im guessing its a plug thats in your ear (like earbuds) and that they are expecting the friction of the plug to keep it in place.
But i highly doubt that this wil work well while walking.
ps. I didnt think they could make Google Glass look stupider but i guessed wrong.
Appears to be a wire that goes over the top of the ear, similar to some BT headsets. Look closely at the ‘shopped image of the model.
So your reason for not liking it is that it’s has double the initial planned cost? What about features and performance?
I dont think its going to be any better or worse than Google Glass. They are trying to create a market that does not yet exist. This is what it takes to do so. Remember resistive touch screen phones? Or better yet the first camera phone with flash? There is no reason for this to succeed other than the public’s need to have the newest thing.
Here is absolute proof that, if you give a person enough rope they will eventually hang themselves.
This looks absolutely ridiculous!!!
I’ll be waiting for the retail release of glass to make up my mind. They better cost way less than this tho. I’m not paying more for a peripheral than my phone.
Oh my goodness what a horrible photoshop work on that first image, they really can’t just afford a real model?!
Wait….is that picture of the blonde wearing the unit photoshopped??? Not be sarcastic…I’m really not sure!!!
Click on the image to see it in full resolution, And you will see the pixelation around the edges of the device and the white border due to poor extraction of the background
Pahahaha it looks ridiculous.
Both the device and the photoshop work. :P
Google Glass looks better…its looks like a bluetooth earpiece with an antennae…or a call center headset without the wrap around…
I’d rather loose some of the features such as gps for a lower price. I guess they tries to distinguish from Glass and that caused the increased price.
ugly as hell, prefer Gglass duuuuuuuuuuh
Ha could always get these SMART Glasses that dont make you like a Google Cyborg and dont cost that much either :-D
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pivothead-smart/x/4042531