Lenovo is gearing as much as launch an all-new product; the pair of AR glasses on your smartphone, pill, and pc.

The Lenovo Glasses T1 AR wearable might be related to a appropriate system by way of a USB-C wired connection and can give you a digital display screen that seemingly floats within the area in entrance of you. In your smartphone, this implies blowing the dimensions up significantly making it really feel such as you’re watching a digital TV.

If this all sounds a bit acquainted, that’s as a result of there’s a pair of good glasses that does all of this already: the Nreal Air AR glasses.

The Nreal Air specs may hook up with your smartphone by way of a wired connection to extend your show dimension, and the similarities don’t cease there. Each AR specs supply a 1920 x 1080 decision per eye (providing you with a full-HD picture), each boast OLED shows, and each appear to have stable audio capabilities. 

Lenovo is promising that its T1 glasses will function high-fidelity built-in audio system, and after the surprisingly spectacular efficiency of Nreal’s specs’ audio system, we’re anticipating Lenovo’s to sound first rate too.

Each glasses even look fairly related – although the Nreal headset may look a bit extra trendy based mostly on the photographs we’ve seen.

Nonetheless, regardless of the similarities, each glasses have their very own clear professionals and cons.

Competing for first place

The largest enchancment that Lenovo’s new glasses might be making over the Nreal Air smartglasses is compatibility. 

Formally, Nreal’s AR specs solely work with a handful of handsets that features the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, and Oppo Discover X5. I used to be informed that some tablets and laptops may work with the glasses as nicely however I used to be by no means given an specific checklist of which fashions had been/weren’t appropriate.

In contrast, Lenovo is promising out the gate that its smartglasses will work with “most full-function USB-C-equipped Home windows, Android, and macOS gadgets.” What’s extra, due to a bundled adaptor it additionally says that its Lenovo Glasses T1 wearable might be appropriate along with your iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, giving iOS customers an opportunity to expertise the fun of AR good glasses.

However, regardless that Lenovo’s specs will work with extra gadgets the expertise won’t be nearly as good.

That’s as a result of whereas each specs promise a full-HD OLED show, Lenovo’s T1 glasses solely supply a 10,000:1 distinction ratio in contrast with the Nreal Air’s 100,000:1. What’s extra, Nreal’s glasses supply a 90Hz refresh charge in contrast with Lenovo’s mere 60Hz.

Which means seeing the picture produced by Lenovo’s glasses is perhaps tougher for those who’re in a vivid room, and the video will not look as clean in contrast with Nreal’s glasses. 

In case your cellphone is appropriate with each headsets, based mostly on the specs alone it appears like Nreal has the sting. That mentioned you may need to maintain off on shopping for a pair till we’ve had an opportunity to check out Lenovo’s providing for ourselves.

And that’s not simply because Lenovo’s AR wearable may very well be higher than they appear, however as a result of its decrease specs might remedy Nreal’s largest subject: value.

It’s all concerning the cash 

The Nreal Air AR glasses are certainly one of the best gadget I’ve ever examined right here at TechRadar, however at £400 (round $465 / AU$680) I wasn’t speeding out to purchase a pair when EE requested for the pair they loaned to me to be returned.

The personal cinema expertise they supplied did make my commute way more satisfying, however £400 is quite a bit to cough up when my smartphone already has a good display screen. If I actually needed to improve my commuting setup I’d get extra bang for my buck by spending half that quantity on a pair of one of the best headphones we’ve examined (just like the Sony WH-1000XM4s).

The Nreal Air AR glasses did boast a number of additional options that might assist justify their value – like an immersive biking app and a digital multi-monitor setup that felt very Iron man-esque – however frankly, they had been all a clunky mess.

Earlier than declaring a victor on this combat I must know if the Lenovo Glasses T1 wearable presents any noteworthy bonus options and, extra importantly, how a lot they value. If the value sits nearer $230 / £200 / AU$340 then I’ll be able to snag a pair as quickly as I can.

Sadly, we’ll have to attend on the value a bit longer. Lenovo received’t be asserting the price of the Lenovo Glasses T1 till it goes on sale – late 2022 for China and different markets in 2023. For now, we’ll have to depart the match undecided, however once we know a number of extra particulars there’s more likely to be a transparent winner and loser, so be sure you test again when Lenovo lastly does reveal extra particulars.