Rokid smart glasses may be the blueprint to replace smartphones

More smart glasses have arrived in Australia, with the launch of the Rokid Glasses. Now, before you switch off and think smart glasses are just a gimmick, this could indeed be the gadget that ultimately replaces your smartphone.

Set to compete with the likes of Meta’s smart specs, Rokid’s 49g glasses have dual-eye Micro-LED displays, a 12MP first-person camera, open-ear speakers and four microphones in a slimline, IPX4-rated frame. When worn, you can snap photos and up to 1680p videos, chat with the built-in AI assistant, listen to music, and receive phone notifications without reaching into your pocket.

At the Australian launch, I was able to listen to a gentleman speaking Chinese and read the translation appear on the built-in heads-down display. I could ask the glasses to translate a sign in 89 different languages while connected to the internet and six when offline. It was not, however till I took these glasses home that the real benefits started to show themselves.

What can the Rokid Glasses do?

Imagine having an AI agent attached to your head, always ready to answer your questions or interact with the glasses. You can ask the glasses to navigate and then see a basic map and directions to your destination.

I asked the glasses to tell me what they could see, and they described in detail what they and I could see. But imagine if you were sight-impaired and had your environment described to you. I asked the glasses to tell me the number plate of the car in front of me, and it did. I passed a real estate board of a house that had been sold and asked it what price it sold for, and had the price in seconds. Beyond that, you can ask anything you might ask ChatGPT or Gemini today.

If you wear glasses, you can get clip-on prescription lenses as well as a sunglass attachment. While using the handy clip-on batteries, you do watch the battery level go down, similar to what you saw with the first mobile phones, but they will power and recharge the glasses on the go.

Stay tuned for a full review once I get some more hands-on time. For now, Australians can pre-order the Rokid Glasses for $999 from Rokid’s online store until 8 June, including a free power capsule for adding more charge, and the sunglasses attachment. At launch, on 9 June, the glasses then cost $1,099 at retail.

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