Not one of the chosen few selected to get Google Glass early? It’s a tough wait, especially when most of us aren’t sure what the number written on the price tag will be. For those looking for an early “smartglasses” solution, look no further than Vergence Labs’ Epiphany Eyewear.
While the comparison to Google Glass isn’t perfect (i.e. there’s no apps, turn-by-turn navigation, etc. inside), Epiphany glasses have a few things going for it aside from early availability. The first advantage being they look like a pair of glasses you’d buy from the Sunglass Hut down the street rather than a computer store—their more discrete. The second, and the most likely to attract buyers, is the $300 price tag.
The Epiphany glasses come with limited features for this price, though. It has up to 32GB of internal storage and will capture POV video, however, you won’t be able to review your shots in the field. You’ll have to upload your footage to a computer to view it. The discrete nature of the Epiphany’s design may raise some privacy questions, but Instagram fanatics may see it (and other early trends of these smartglasses) as the next big thing since camera phones.
The tint in the polarized lenses can be electrically adjusted via a sliding bar on top of the shades; it’s like a manually adjustable version of transitions lenses. Two discrete tactile buttons on either side of the glasses turn the device on and activate the camera. There’s also a micro-USB plug for data transfer and charging the battery. One worrisome spec missing from the data sheet is the estimated battery life.
Vergence Labs Epiphany Eyewear is available for pre-order in three models: 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. It’s currently slated for release in North America late this summer.
Source: Gizmag
