Google may have dropped the idea of commercially launching Google Glass, but that doesn’t mean we’ll have to wait long to get our hands on a pair of connected glasses designed for non-enterprise purposes. Google Glass 2 is on its way, Snapchat is working on Spectacles, and even the vision insurance firm VSP Vision Care is developing its own piece of hardware simply called Level. While this bleeding tech is still in its infancy, there’s no shortage of people who will gladly pay a pretty penny to put a pair of smart glasses on their head as soon as possible. Well, at least that’s what the Vue Kickstarter campaign suggests.
Launched by a San Francisco, California-based startup of the same name, Vue is a pair of connected spectacles advertised as the first smart glasses designed for everyday use. On the outside, this device looks like any other pair of spectacles or sunglasses, but inside its small frame (which only weighs 28 grams) is some impressive hardware which allows for a lot of applications. Among other things, Vue can report the time, make calls, play music or navigation instructions using bone conduction audio technology, and track activity.
The glasses are controlled by a touch panel located on the outside of their frame, connect to your phone via Bluetooth, and support wireless charging. Speaking of which, Vue can be fully charged with a convenient case overnight and boasts up to seven days of standby time. This gadget also sports sensors which notify it when you put it on and activate its low-power mode as soon as it’s off your head. Both the prescription and sunglasses model will be available in three colors: Black, Brown, and White. The frames themselves will be manufactured in Ink Black, Carbon Fiber, Wood, Chocolate Brown, and Baby Blue. All of that for $179 if you back the Vue Kickstarter campaign.
Sounds good? It seems a lot of people agree as Vue has already raised close to $240,000 in less than a week since launching on Kickstarter. For reference, the Californian startup initially asked for only $50,000. Early Bird units are all already taken though there’s still plenty of other tiers to choose from. The company stated that the standard version of Vue will retail for approximately $269.99 so you can still save some money by pledging to the Kickstarter campaign which still runs for more than a month. Estimated delivery of Kickstarter units has been scheduled for July of 2017 and the US startup already confirmed that it’s willing to ship the product anywhere in the world.
