Xiaomi ventures into the smart glasses arena

Garikai Dzoma Avatar

Garikai Dzoma

Last week Facebook unveiled its RayBan sunglasses that are retailing for US$299. Their much-touted feature is that you can literally now wear Facebook Stories on your face. Who would want that? To say I wasn’t impressed is an understatement. Now, without even giving us a moment to digest Facebook’s latest hardware adventure, Xiaomi has announced that they too will be venturing into the smart glass business.

Xiaomi makes everything

It seems Xiaomi really wants to be the company that makes everything. The new Samsung of sorts. They already have a pretty impressive gadget lineup via their various sub-brands and subsidiaries. They seem to dominate every sector they venture into too. They are the second-largest smartphone maker in the world after Samsung and have the smartwatch mantle firmly in their hand.

The glasses

Xiaomi Smart Glasses | Showcase | A display in front of your eyes

Image for YouTube video with title Xiaomi Smart Glasses | Showcase | A display in front of your eyes viewable on the following URL https://youtu.be/I9bnmES7O74
The launch video of the glasses

It appears as though for now the glasses are simply going to be called the Xiaomi Smart Glasses. Remember Xiaomi recently decided to stop using the Mi-branding when naming their products. These glasses come with a MicroLED display chip that Xiaomi claims can be viewed even in direct sunlight. The main use of the display appears to be to act as a secondary display for your phone. So messages can be beamed to your glasses while your phone remains in your pocket.

  • They weigh about 51g
  • Can make calls
  • Have navigation capability
  • They can capture photos
  • Can translate stuff this can come in handy when you are in a foreign country and are looking at foreign signs or labels in foreign languages.
  • Are powered by a processor
  • Have Bluetooth
  • Have WIFI
  • Come with a sad little 5MP camera. Now that’s their latest drawback
  • No information as yet on the price

I am a bit biased here but even without the price, I am liking the Xiaomi Glasses more than Facebook’s. A major part of that bias stems from the fact that I loathe anything that will allow Facebook to get more data about me. While Facebook’s glasses are shamelessly about promoting the continued use of just Facebook products, Xiaomi’s Glasses appear to be more general in terms of how you can use them.

That said I will not be buying either of them. I still don’t see the need for smartglasses to be honest. Then again, I don’t have a smartwatch either so maybe that’s just the Luddite in me speaking.

14 comments

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  1. Error 404

    Iweeeee IMI VANHU MUSADARO huya pano yavepo nyaya iya sekutaura kwakaita,😂😂😂😂. “Soon will see a Xioami glasses review here and how they are the best thing since sliced bread. 😎”.

    Reply
    1. Garikai Dzoma

      Sometimes people don’t realise this but Techzim articles are written by a team and we all have different opinions. Also if you read my early article on RayBans I didn’t like the design, Facebook focused functionally and that ridiculous pricing. Xiaomi’s glasses are more general purpose, look better and will generally be cheaper. They also won’t be from a spying behemoth that does not care about privacy

      Reply
      1. Error 404

        How do you know Xiaomi cares about privacy???? How do you know they are not spying?? Are these Xiaomi glasses immune to hacks??? If Facebook are spying on people they would use whatever is possible to, not just their products.

        Reply
        1. Garikai Dzoma

          I am not going to buy either of the products personally. But generally, I leaned towards Xiaomi here because their glasses are aimed at general usage while Facebook’s are more focused on their own product. That was the deciding factor. That 5MP camera though is something else. Both products are not something I would recommend.

          Reply
          1. Error 404

            You’re right, Xiaomi are going to make something for general use while Facebook focused on their own product. That’s a great deciding factor but remember these Xiaomi glasses might or will at some point will be used alongside Facebook. Ridiculing Facebook about spying and not caring about privacy it’s 100% your problem, why would you sign up for something agree to their terms of use, privacy policy and ‘spying’ then you start ranting about it. If the NSO was able to infiltrate without the need for people to agree to any terms and conditions then this espionage thing becomes irrelevant in your argument. Just because something is classified as for general use it doesn’t mean it’s clean and it’s not vulnerable for a third party to play dirty with it

            Reply
      2. Positive Opinion

        I definitely agree with you Garikai,at the end of the day everyone has their own opinion….I’ve noticed that there are some individuals who have something to say on almost every Techzim article,whilst that isn’t a problem,does their opinion have to almost always be negative ?.I mean this is a very good article about a Xiaomi product.

        Reply
    2. Imi vanhu musadaro

      I was laughing as I read the article. 🤣 They forget that when objectively is lacking, everything just becomes an opinion piece with lower credibility.

      Reply
    3. Laywoman

      This is why Zimbabweans and Africans in general will never prosper. Tinowanza kutukana nekushorana. I don’t see anything wrong with this article, I applaud the efforts of the author.

      Reply
  2. Tryphine Ndlovu

    Thats tricky

    Reply
  3. Jack

    It is the job on technology companies to constantly push the envelope and lead customers where they may not know they need to go. Before Facebook no one knew they needed it, the same for Whatsapp. We were happy writing letters to each other.

    Reply
  4. 3man

    A billion reviews, I think would suffice for most people

    Reply
  5. Critical Thinking

    I like to own a Xiaomi product. Kune shop mu Zim yamunoziva here.

    Reply
    1. Garikai Dzoma

      Yes. There is a Mistore on Easgate first floor. Visit mistore.co.zw

      Reply
  6. Archie

    One reason for smart glasses would remote sense, FM, Facial rec

    Reply

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