BARCELONA—Xiaomi showed off a pair of prototype augmented reality glasses at the Mobile World Congress trade show this week that let you interact with the world beyond the lenses.
Dubbed the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, the company says they are just a technology concept for now and won't be sold in stores. Targeting the AR market, however, would put Xiaomi up against powerful competitors including Apple, Google, and Microsoft, among others.
The glasses have a pair of "retina-level" displays that project virtual objects within your field of view, such as calendar alerts, incoming phone notifications, and information about the TV show you're watching. The company says the glasses are relatively lightweight at 4.4 ounces (we'll have to take its word on this, as the glasses were only on display behind, erm, glass) and can pair with the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro smartphones. They rely on Qualcomm's second-generation augmented reality platform.
Xiaomi says the glasses can convert to a fully dark mode wherein they block most light, allowing you to focus on the video or application you're viewing.
The most interesting aspect of this concept, however, is that wearers would be able to use gesture controls to interact with smart home devices. For example, you could turn a smart light on or off with a pinch of your fingers, or page through an on-screen menu system with swiping gestures. Wearers would also be able to place virtual objects anywhere in the AR space as they see it. These types of activities would allow you to leave your phone in your pocket.
Xiaomi has long dabbled in product categories outside of smartphones, which remain its main business. But with more powerful phones, processors, and networks now available, this is another sign that the time for AR is nigh.