The competition for the title of the best smart glasses has intensified with the introduction of the new Solos AirGo Visions, which now feature a built-in camera and support for OpenAI’s latest GPT-4o model. This significant upgrade allows the glasses to identify what you’re looking at and respond to voice prompts, offering a new level of interactivity and utility.
The AirGo Vision glasses are designed to let users interact with their environment in unprecedented ways. You can ask questions like, “What am I looking at?” or make more specific requests such as “Give me directions to the Eiffel Tower,” and the glasses will provide answers using their advanced AI capabilities. This functionality makes the AirGo Visions not just a fashion accessory but a powerful tool for information and navigation.
One of the standout features of the new Solos glasses is their modular frame design, which allows users to swap out components like the camera or lenses to better suit different situations. These additional frames start from $89 (around £70 / AU$135), providing flexibility and customization options for users.
If the idea of talking to a pair of camera-equipped smart glasses feels a bit too intrusive, you can use the camera for more conventional purposes, such as taking holiday photos. Additionally, the AirGo Visions come with built-in speakers, enabling them to answer your questions or play music, enhancing their versatility.
Pricing and availability
While the exact price and release date for the full version of the AirGo Visions have not been officially announced, a version without the camera will be available for $249 (around £200 / AU$375) in July. This suggests that the camera-equipped version will likely be priced competitively with the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which cost $299 / £299 / AU$449.
The potential of AI-powered smart glasses is still being explored. TechRadar’s Senior Staff Writer Hamish Hector recently tested the Meta AI’s ‘Look and Ask’ feature on his Ray-Ban smart glasses and found the experience to be mixed. He noted that while the AI is quite handy when it works, it isn’t perfect and sometimes struggles due to camera limitations and information overload.
For example, the smart glasses had difficulty identifying trees but were quite effective at quickly summarizing complex information, such as local parking restrictions. This demonstrates the usefulness of AI-powered smart glasses in specific contexts, despite their current limitations.
As always with AI-powered responses, users should corroborate the answers to filter out errors and potential hallucinations. Nevertheless, the potential for these glasses, particularly for travellers or visually impaired individuals, is undeniable.
Looking ahead
The Solos AirGo Visions‘ support for OpenAI’s latest GPT-4o model positions them as a strong contender against the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The comparison between the two will become even more interesting when the camera-equipped version of the AirGo Visions becomes available.
Until then, you can explore our guide to the best smart glasses you can buy right now to see how current options stack up. With continuous advancements in AI and wearable technology, the future of smart glasses looks promising, offering enhanced functionality and convenience to users worldwide.
