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Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Forget Ray-Ban Meta — HTC just unveiled Vive Eagle smart glasses that look like a stylish AI breakthrough
Smart glasses aren't just a new trend anymore, they're very much here. And so far, AI glasses have been dominated by Meta — I, for one, love the company's Ray-Ban smart specs. But HTC has just come from out of nowhere and launched a pair of its own that seriously challenge the sleek stylings and technological smarts of Zuck's glasses. Whether you're looking for a pair of AI glasses like the Vive Eagle, or AR specs to watch and play in comfort on long haul flights, I've got you. I have been testing pairs for over four years, and have ranked the best smart glasses you can buy. Named the HTC Vive Eagle, these glasses are lighter, pack a much bigger battery, sport Zeiss lenses for great UV protection, and even support both the biggest AI models you can use right now. Spec Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses HTC Vive Eagle smart glasses Chipset Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 Storage 32GB 32GB Camera 12MP 12MP Weight 49g 48.8g AI model Meta AI Google Gemini or ChatGPT Battery capacity 154 mAh 235 mAh Specification-wise, these two pairs of specs are largely the same. But there are three critical differences to talk about that could give HTC a narrow lead here. First, battery life. With a far bigger capacity in that cell, you should get all-day longevity out of these for your key tasks. Second, they're slightly lighter on the face — the tiniest bit, but every little reduction matters. Third, instead of only having Meta AI, users can pick between using Google Gemini or ChatGPT as the assistant. Don't get me wrong, Meta AI is good, but these two models have shot ahead in terms of multi-modal assistance, so putting it directly on camera glasses is really exciting. These specs even do real-time text-to-speech translation across 13 languages — far beyond Meta's support for four languages! Ever since buying the transparent Ray-Ban Meta glasses, I've been a sucker for anything that is see-through or transparent. So to see HTC pick up on this in its aesthetic across all colors makes them look gorgeous — techy-yet-refined. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. So how much are they? Well, we only know the price in Taiwan right now (more on that later), but that NT$15,600 cost converts to roughly $520, which is quite a step above the $299 asking price of the Ray-Ban Metas! However, the pre-order price of a pair of Eagles gets you two years of Vive AI Plus for free. We're not exactly sure what you get for that, aside from another monthly subscription, but the choice to sell them directly to Taiwan Mobile customers as part of their phone plans should offset the price a little. This is a tricky question to answer. Currently, they're only initially available in Taiwan. Pre-orders go live today, and they launch on September 1, but HTC has told me that the company doesn't have a window for an international release soon. That means we could be in for the long haul waiting for these to launch, which sucks! These glasses look so cool, and with access to ChatGPT or Google Gemini, they could very well be more intelligent too — especially in multimodal use. Fingers crossed they land in the U.S. and U.K. sooner rather than later. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
India Today
28-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
Alibaba joins smart glasses race, takes on Meta with Qualcomm-powered Quark AI glasses
Alibaba has introduced its first pair of AI-powered smart glasses — the Quark AI glasses, named after the company's AI assistant. The smart glasses were shown to the public for the first time at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. While the company hasn't revealed a launch date or price yet, it did say the product is fully developed and expected to go on sale in China later this year. The glasses are designed to work closely with Alibaba's growing AI ecosystem and offer features like real-time translation, hands-free payments, price comparisons and even turn-by-turn navigation — all directly through the is Alibaba's first attempt at making smart glasses, and the timing is no coincidence. Local competitors like Xreal and Rokid have already launched products, and global tech giants like Meta are also in the mix, with their Ray-Ban smart glasses. Rather than sitting on the sidelines, Alibaba seems ready to compete by leaning on its own strengths — AI models, software platforms, and existing services like Alipay and Taobao. The company has already confirmed that the Quark AI glasses will use Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 platform, a chip made specifically for augmented reality wearables. There's also a second low-power processor inside, and the glasses run on a dual operating system setup — Android and a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS), which handles light and immediate tasks has been gradually expanding its AI presence over the past year. Back in February, it announced a $53 billion investment into AI infrastructure over three years. It's also reorganised internal teams to better focus on both AI models and real-world products. This includes the development of its own large language models under the Qwen name, which power various features in Quark, its AI assistant. Earlier this year, Alibaba turned Quark into a more versatile tool, evolving it from a simple search and cloud storage app into an all-in-one assistant with capabilities similar to what you'd expect from ChatGPT or Google Gemini. The company's partnership with AR glasses maker RayNeo earlier this year also shows it's thinking long term. That deal involved integrating Alibaba's AI tools into RayNeo's products, laying the groundwork for future collaboration or tech terms of features, the Quark AI glasses aren't just about looking futuristic. You'll be able to scan QR codes to make payments via Alipay, identify and compare prices on Taobao (China's largest online marketplace) by pointing the glasses at items, and get real-time directions while walking or cycling using Amap, Alibaba's navigation app. The glasses also include hands-free calling, live meeting transcriptions, music playback, and a built-in design of the Quark AI glasses has been tweaked for comfort too. According to the company, the glasses' arms are 40 per cent slimmer than the usual industry standard, making them more practical for daily use. The frames are also lightweight and designed to house all this tech without looking mentioned above, there's no official word on pricing or international availability just yet. Stay tuned to India Today Tech for all the latest on Alibaba's Quark AI glasses.- Ends
Phone Arena
11-06-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Qualcom demos new processor for AI-powered smart glasses
If AI-driven augmented reality smart glasses replace smartphones eventually, as many expect, Qualcomm would expect to be negatively impacted. Sales of its smartphone chips would be reduced and in theory, Qualcomm's stock price would follow. However, there is something that the San Diego-based fabless chip designer is doing that will not only reduce the negative effect of slower phone sales but should lead to rapidly growing sales of processors for a hot new product. At the Augmented World Expo trade show, Qualcomm demonstrated its new Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 processor powering a pair of AR smart glasses. The processor allows AI to run on the glasses without requiring an internet connection or having the glasses sync with a phone. For example, Ziad Asghar, a Qualcomm Senior Vice President, used the smart glasses to speak with an AI-powered digital assistant powered by the new Qualcomm chips. The Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 is 26% smaller than the previous generation. The new chip will deliver enhanced image quality, size, power improvement and the ability to run Small Language Models. Qualcomm introduces the new Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 processor for smart glasses. | KImage credit-Qualcomm The digital assistant was connected to the glasses on-device, not through the cloud or a nearby phone. As the Qualcomm executive wrote in a blog post, "No phone. No cloud. Just the processor powering the glasses themselves." Qualcomm hopes that the smaller, energy-efficient chips help take smart glasses from their current role as an accessory for the smartphone to a starring position as a smartphone replacement that can do it all as the wearable device becomes more mainstream. Currently, Qualcomm chips are used on Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. Other headsets and glasses that rely on Qualcomm components include Lenovo Group Ltd.'s A3, Sony Corp.'s Spacial HMD, Microsoft Corp.'s HoloLens 2, and the Vive Flow from HTC. One issue that AI-driven AR smart glasses face is how manufacturers can feed such a power-hungry device while keeping them lightweight and small enough for users to wear on their faces for hours at a time. If these glasses are expected to eventually replace smartphones, this is a hurdle that the product is going to have to overcome. Qualcomm's new processor helps smart glasses take a big step in the right obviously believes in the future of smart glasses. The company is positioning itself accordingly by developing new processors for the smart glasses industry hoping to be as dominant in that market as it is in designing and selling chips for smartphones.
