First-hand experience of Xiaomi AI Glasses: For domestic users, this might be a better alternative to Meta Ray-Ban.
At last night's Xiaomi "Smart Mobility, Home, and Wearables Ecosystem Launch Event", apart from the highly anticipated YU7, the most attention - grabbing product was the Xiaomi AI Glasses, which were presented as the finale.
Since the birth of smart devices, "hands - free operation" has always been one of the ultimate propositions that tech brands have been trying to solve. From the fleeting appearance of Google Glass to the continuous exploration by giants like Meta in recent years, smart glasses have always carried the ambition of "challenging the status of mobile phones as the central personal device".
However, how to balance cutting - edge technology with daily fashion has always been a difficult problem for all manufacturers. It wasn't until the successful launch of Ray - Ban Meta that new hope was brought to the entire industry. Subsequently, the "battle of smart glasses" ensued.
As what Lei Jun described as "the personal smart device of the next era", the Xiaomi AI Glasses do not pursue the relatively more sci - fi AR display function. Instead, they choose a more practical and focused path: to become a fashionable bridge connecting people with the digital world.
GeekPark got hands - on with the Xiaomi AI Glasses at the first opportunity. In our opinion, in terms of both the completion of hardware engineering and the actual user experience, it represents the highest level of similar domestic products at present.
When you get your hands on the Xiaomi AI Glasses, the first impression is that they are good - looking glasses. For a device that needs to be worn on the face all day long, any fancy features must be based on excellent industrial design.
In addition to these basic considerations, the most core design language in the appearance of the Xiaomi AI Glasses is the classic Wellington Frame. Compared with the bold round designs of some European and American brands, this D - shaped square frame is more suitable for Asian face shapes. It is a reserved and timeless choice.
In terms of color schemes, in addition to the steady black, the Xiaomi AI Glasses also offer two semi - transparent frames in tortoise brown and parrot green. The actual visual effect of the green frame even reminds people of Xiaomi's classic "Transparent Exploration Edition" mobile phones, showing a unique technological texture in a low - key way.
"Lightweight" is not everything for smart wearables, but it is the key factor determining whether users are willing to wear the glasses "all day long". The Xiaomi AI Glasses have achieved the ultimate in terms of "lightweight"; the weight of the frame alone is only about 40 grams.
Even when equipped with custom lenses, the overall weight can be controlled between 50 and 60 grams. To further improve the wearing comfort, the hinge design that can be turned outwards by up to 12 degrees effectively avoids the "tight - head feeling" caused by the thick temples of traditional smart glasses.
The temples of the Xiaomi AI Glasses are designed with a hinge that can be turned outwards by up to 12 degrees | Image source: GeekPark
Of course, the most ingenious design of the Xiaomi AI Glasses is to give new life to the lenses. In addition to cooperating with Shanghai Mingyue Optical to provide users with professional prescription lens customization, Xiaomi has also introduced the electrochromic technology derived from the windows of the Boeing 787.
By sliding on the side of the temple, users can instantly adjust the shading degree of the lenses. They can even switch between colors such as black, pink, blue, and purple on the multi - color models. Compared with traditional photochromic lenses, this active electronically controlled adjustment is undoubtedly more sensitive and more futuristic.
Battery life is the key to whether smart glasses can be used "all day long". The Xiaomi AI Glasses are equipped with a "single - device, dual - chip" solution of Qualcomm AR1 and BES2700H from BES. Combined with the high - density silicon anode battery technology used in the Xiaomi 15 Pro, it achieves a typical mixed battery life of about 8.6 hours.
Compared with the Ray - Ban Meta, which only has a daily battery life of four hours, this is not only a two - fold improvement. In actual daily use, it also means that users don't have to worry about carrying an extra charging device during a whole day of light use.
When it comes to charging, compared with the design of using the glasses case as a battery charging dock, which is adopted by Ray - Ban Meta and the current mainstream high - end AI glasses on the market, the Xiaomi AI Glasses are truly "minimalist". The USB - C port is directly designed at the end of the temple, and the contact charging design using the glasses case is not adopted at all.
The USB - C port for charging/data transmission of the Xiaomi AI Glasses is at the end of the temple | Image source: GeekPark
Whether this design is practical is a matter of personal opinion. For me, directly plugging the data cable into the glasses to charge still provides a relatively unnatural user experience. I am more used to the way of simply putting the glasses in the storage case to complete the charging. However, the advantage of the Xiaomi AI Glasses' design is that you don't have to worry about carrying an extra charging case when going out for a long time. This may also be very important for digital geeks who have a large number of electronic devices and find it difficult to manage them.
If we talk about the most distinctive function of smart glasses at this stage, there is no doubt that it is taking photos and recording videos from the first - person perspective. It provides an irreplaceable creative way that completely frees your hands.
At the same time, as the camera is the core function directly competing with Meta, Xiaomi has focused its main efforts on the camera. The 12 - megapixel IMX681 sensor supports video recording at a maximum of 2K 30fps and is equipped with EIS electronic image stabilization.
As is well known, for a photo - taking device without a display function, it is crucial for AI glasses to be able to intuitively capture the pictures that users want without a shooting preview.
Compared with the Ray - Ban Meta, the Xiaomi AI Glasses with the same ID design are slightly inferior in terms of anti - shake performance. On a more mobile device like glasses, the result is that the shutter speed cannot be accurately set, leading to blurry pictures.
However, the Xiaomi AI Glasses use a horizontal sensor arrangement instead of the vertical arrangement of the Ray - Ban Meta. Therefore, the actual pictures taken have a horizontal aspect ratio with more information.
In addition to taking photos and recording videos, another important role of the Xiaomi AI Glasses is to be a constantly - online companion of "Xiaomi Smart Assistant". This has evolved it from a "recording tool" to an "interactive device".
Relying on the mature voice capabilities of Xiaomi Smart Assistant, accurate recognition and interaction are a given. On this basis, Xiaomi has endowed it with two core AI functions: real - time translation and unobtrusive recording.
In terms of translation, the Xiaomi AI Glasses currently support mutual translation between Chinese and ten other languages such as English, Japanese, and Korean. It is one of the smart glasses products that support the most languages on the market, which is extremely practical for cross - border communication and travel scenarios.
In meeting or interview scenarios, it can cooperate with the mobile phone recording app to achieve unobtrusive recording and directional recording. When playing back, the sound has a stronger sense of presence, and the recording process is far less intrusive than holding up a mobile phone.
Of course, as a part of the Xiaomi ecosystem, you can also use the Xiaomi smart ecosystem and the multi - modal Xiaomi Smart Assistant recognition capabilities on the glasses. These intelligent capabilities in daily scenarios are also an important part of testing the comprehensive strength of smart glasses brands.
This is also one of the best - experienced parts of the Xiaomi AI Glasses in my opinion. As is well known, the Ray - Ban Meta has never been launched in China, and Meta AI has increasingly restricted the use in non - official sales regions. A fully functional and intelligent multi - modal AI assistant is enough to give users who have long used the Ray - Ban Meta a little shock of "this is China".
For users of the Xiaomi mobile phone/smart device ecosystem, the word "home court" obviously represents more. Its real "killer feature" is that, as a part of the Pengpai ecosystem, it breaks down the barriers between devices.
During WeChat or QQ video calls, you can use the camera transfer function of HyperOS to let the glasses take over the camera for the video call. Instantly, the other party can have your perspective, achieving a real "perspective shift".
Even more exciting is that this gameplay has been extended to the live - streaming field. Xiaomi has cooperated with mainstream platforms such as Bilibili, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu. By using the Xiaomi AI Glasses with a Xiaomi mobile phone, users can conduct first - person live - streaming. This greatly simplifies the previous complex process that required professional streaming equipment.
However, for a small - sized smart device like glasses, heat dissipation and power consumption still pose significant limitations to the current hardware. In the wireless live - streaming scenario, the maximum resolution is limited to 720p, and the actual battery life is also significantly reduced to 30 - 40 minutes. Therefore, the Xiaomi AI Glasses also provide an option to complete data streaming by connecting to the mobile phone via a cable.
Perhaps you have noticed that the Xiaomi AI Glasses do not pursue an immediate AR revolution. Its strategy is very clear: instead of depicting a distant sci - fi future, it is better to first create a smart accessory that is good - looking, easy - to - use, and fun right now.
This is a product full of Xiaomi's practicalism. It skillfully combines mature technologies (Wellington Frame, Xiaomi Smart Assistant, Pengpai ecosystem) with cutting - edge innovations (electrochromic lenses, live - streaming transfer).
The Xiaomi AI Glasses are suitable for ecosystem users who pursue efficiency and convenience, video creators who are eager to record and share their lives from a new perspective, and all fashion pioneers who hope to seamlessly integrate technology into their daily outfits.
As for the starting price of 1,999 yuan, perhaps this price is not "extremely affordable" for many people. However, in the field of AI glasses where many big manufacturers are competing in the same price range, this pricing strategy also shows that as a first - generation product, the Xiaomi AI Glasses are not only testing the waters but also pursuing long - term development.
From this perspective, the Xiaomi AI Glasses are not aiming to launch a disruptive technological revolution. Instead, as a key piece in the "Smart Mobility, Home, and Wearables Ecosystem" chess game, they present a more approachable and practical way to truly "wear" smart life right in front of your eyes.
*Cover image source: GeekPark