Sony SmartEyeGlass developer edition

Sony's SmartEyeglass developer edition augmented reality glasses will cost £620 when they go on sale in the UK on 10 March. Like Google Glass, the Sony device can be used to superimpose a display into a user's field of view.

The launch of Sony's smart specs comes just weeks after Google shuttered its Glass Explorer programme. At the time Google said it would continue research into Glass but had indefinitely delayed their launch.


Sony said its SmartEyeGlass developer edition created "true augmented reality" and provided a "world of knowledge" in front of a user's eyes. A software development kit (SDK) has also been released to encourage companies to make apps for the glasses.

The company said its wearable could be used to get sports stats in real time, see hands-free assembly instructions and receive directions when walking through a city. A wired controller is hooked up to the glasses, which also need pairing with a compatible Android device in order to work.

Read next A new Fitbit claims to track your stress levels. Can it really do it? A new Fitbit claims to track your stress levels. Can it really do it?

Sony SmartEyeGlass developer edition

On the inside there's an accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass and a three-megapixel camera for still images.

The controls and microphone used to interact with the device are on the puck-shaped wired controller, which needs to be plugged in at all times.

SmartEyeGlass connects to its host Android device via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and has an estimated 150-minute battery life with continuous use.


Unlike Google Glass, which had a full colour display, Sony's device has a 419 x 138 resolution monochrome display that is only able to display bright green.

People who wear glasses will not be able to wear SmartEyeglass as they don't fit over existing eyewear.

Sony's product has a number of similarities to Epson's Moverio BT-100 augmented reality glasses. Launched in 2011, Moverio even pre-dated Google's Glass project.