Oppo shows off new Air Glass 3 augmented reality glasses at MWC 2024

At the Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC 2024) in Barcelona, ​​Spain, smartphone giant Oppo showed off a new product that is still in the prototype stage. The augmented reality glasses, called Air Glass 3, aim to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into Oppo’s product lineup while opening the door to the world of augmented reality. In fact, this seems to be Oppo’s bet on augmented reality and artificial intelligence, after Apple finally released its Vision Pro headphones in the US market earlier this year.

Oppo Air Glass 3 is not a new concept from Oppo. The Chinese smartphone giant showed off a similar concept called ” air glass As early as the 2021 Shenzhen INNO Day conference, there was a unique cicada wing design and a micro projector. The company also showcased Air Glass 2 at MWC 2023. Ideas from the past few years seem to have evolved into what is currently being showcased at the ongoing MWC 2024.

The Air Glass 3 glasses look like a regular pair of glasses but have a built-in display that allows users to view digital content pasted onto a real-world setting. Augmented reality bits can be used for navigation and even for viewing incoming messages or calls.

Interaction with wearable devices occurs via voice and touch. Oppo claims to have successfully used a self-developed large language model (LLM) called AndesGPT to power its voice assistant and necessary generative AI features. The voice assistant is currently only available in China, but can perform basic information searches and hold appropriate conversations to assist the wearer.

Another way to interact with the Oppo Air Glass 3 wearable is through touch. According to Oppo, users will be able to touch the frame levers on the sides to interact with and navigate the on-screen content visible on the full-color display. The glasses weigh 50 grams and have a display with a peak brightness of over 1,000 nits. There are four microphones on the frame to assist with voice functions and a speaker for audio output.

Recently, Meta also launched a smart sunglasses in partnership with Ray-Ban. While these look similar to what Oppo announced, they rely on cameras and artificial intelligence to capture photos or videos, and are primarily designed to stream whatever the user sees with the glasses using the “Hey Meta” command. What the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses lack compared to Oppo’s smart glasses is a display, as it relies solely on voice commands and prompts for control.