Sony’s smartglasses are now up for pre-order

Google may have given up on its smartglasses ambitions (for now) but Sony feels confident that its own smartglasses will be better received. The company has made its SmartEyeglass Developer Edition available for pre-order for $840. The device comes equipped with a 3-megapixel camera, a microphone and speaker, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a collection of sensors that users can access through any smartphone or tablet running Android 4.4 and above.

Mere weeks after Google stopped selling Google Glass, Sony jumped on the smart eyewear bandwagon. Its SmartEyeglass Developer Edition, a pair of augmented reality glasses, are available for pre-order in the UK and Germany for $840 (£540 or €670), starting Tuesday. SmartEyeglass, which connects to host devices running Android 4.4 and above, uses a 419×138-pixel, monochrome green display projected onto the lenses. It includes a 3-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, speaker, microphone and a host of various sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, brightness sensor and an electronic compass. In a promotional video, Sony shows how the glasses can be used to communicate, get directions and share photos. The concept, however, looks like a step back from Google Glass as it requires a pretty large, round, cabled accessory that serves as a microphone and a touchpad. As for the device’s looks, well, let’s just say that to our eyes they look slightly awkward even in the promotional stills and video.