Let’s face it, most of the top augmented reality glasses available today are clunky at best. While many vendors, like Vuzix, OPPO, and even Meta are trying to create more streamlined specs, it’s easy to tell their wearables aren’t the same as standard spectacles. On the other hand, the Even Realities G1 glasses are almost impossible to distinguish from traditional eyeglasses.
That’s probably why these glasses have generated so much hype. Even Realities has gone above and beyond to create something people might actually want to wear.
Notably, these glasses aren’t the most advanced smart specs I’ve tried. They don’t have full-color displays, for instance, or amazing speakers like the new XReal One Series glasses. However, if you’re looking for ultra-lightweight, intelligent glasses that aren’t going to draw too much attention, the G1 specs could be exactly what you need.
Quick Verdict: Pros and Cons
If you’re looking for subtle smart glasses, the Even Realities G1 specs are excellent. They’re extremely lightweight, and streamlined. Plus, there are different lens options to choose from, so you can select the specs that match your style best.
Compared to some of the other AR glasses I’ve tried, though, the G1s are a little basic. They do have some great AI capabilities (like generative AI translation and navigation features). Plus, they offer some augmented reality capabilities with a set of monochrome displays. However, the displays really aren’t going to blow you away.
Pros:
- Lightweight design with multiple frame options
- User-friendly proprietary interface
- Excellent AI capabilities
- Good visual clarity for digital text
- Available with prescription lenses
- Convenient smartphone app
Cons:
- No full-colour images
- Slightly expensive for prescription lenses
- Some responsivity issues
Even Realities G1 Glasses: Overview and Specs
The Even G1 glasses are pair of lightweight, comfortable glasses that offer instant access to a proprietary AI assistant, and an augmented reality-style “heads-up” display. Notably, you don’t really get a full “mixed reality” experience here. The content you see doesn’t blend seamlessly with your surroundings. You really just get access to text and basic shapes that hover in front of your eyes.
Still, these glasses are definitely useful. You can use them to instantly take notes when you’re at work, access notifications from your phone, get directions, or even translate words in real-time.
They remind me a lot of the Vuzix Z100 Developer Edition glasses from a functionality perspective – but the Even Realities specs are a little subtler in design.
Here’s a quick rundown of the technical specs.
- 2 Micro-OLED displays (green monochrome)
- 20Hz refresh rate
- 1000 nits of brightness
- Waveguide optic technology
- 640 x 200 pixel resolution
- Integrated AI assistant
- Two microphones
- Automatic brightness control
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Up to 1.5 days of battery life
Even Realities G1: Design and Comfort
As I mentioned above, it’s the design of the Even Realities G1 glasses that really makes them stand out. The company drew on previous experience designing luxury eyewear with companies like Mykita and Lindberg to create a fantastic frame for their specs.
The patented signature screwless hinge, and streamlined frame for these glasses make them exceptionally lightweight and well-balanced. Somehow, these glasses manage to look and feel like a standard set of spectacles, even with the built-in displays and AI assistant.
The only real parts of the glasses that “stand out” are the rubbery segments on the end of each arm, which contain the batteries, buttons, antennae, and other tech. However, these parts can easily hide under your hair, and don’t really draw a lot of attention.
I also love that you can choose between different frame designs – one that’s a little more rectangular, and another that gives you more oval lenses. Plus, you can add your own prescription lenses into the mix too – without having to worry about any “clip-ons” extras. However, you do need to pay $129 more if you want prescription lenses, on top of the $599 for the base product.
The Display Quality and Audio
Adding a display to a pair of smart spectacles usually makes them heavier, and bulkier. That’s probably why Meta decided to skip this feature when it was creating the Ray-Ban smart glasses. Fortunately, Even Realities have managed to keep their glasses lightweight by including a very basic set of OLED displays.
Notably, there’s really not much to these displays. They leverage HAOS technology, powered by some of the world’s most compact Micro LED projectors, to place basic information in front of your eyes from your smartphone or connected device. The screens are capable enough to show directions, simple shapes, and text.
However, you’re not going to be able to watch movies or interact with any advanced workplace apps through these specs. The good news is if you’re just looking for a handy heads-up display, the monochrome green displays are very crisp and clear. I do think the glasses would have attracted more attention if they offered full-color experiences, however.
From an audio perspective, you don’t get any integrated speakers, but you do get two built-in microphones, which allow you to communicate with your AI-powered assistant. Those microphones are pretty good at consistently capturing voice. However, it can take a little while for apps to actually respond to your voice—particularly when you don’t have the best connection.
Even Realities G1 Glasses: The AI Features
Although the displays built into the G1 glasses are definitely a big selling point – I don’t really think Even Realities was focusing too much on “augmented reality” with these specs. It seems like most of their attention was directed towards AI capabilities instead.
The glasses connect to an app on your phone, which allow you to access information on the move with either the buttons on your headset, or voice commands. You can pull up the display at any time to see things like the data, time, and current battery life, as well as upcoming events in your calendar.
You can also receive messages and alerts from your phone and social media, but you can’t actually respond to anything, which is odd given the built-in microphones. On the right side of the display, you’ll see a “Quick Notes” feature, which allows you to record notes when you pinch a little box on the right arm of the glasses. When you speak, you’ll see your words transcribed onto the screen, and you can save them to check out later.
If you mention a time, date, or place, the AI assistant will also add the note to your diary or calendar, and alert you about it later. Beyond making it easy to take notes, the Even Realities G1 glasses have built-in applications for:
Intelligent Translation
Within the Even Realities app, there’s a “Translate” box you can tap on that gives you access to 13 languages to choose from. You can decide what language you want information to be translated into, and tap “Engage”. Then, if someone speaks to you in your chosen language, the glasses will listen, translate, and show you the words on the screen in front of you.
Notably, this feature is a little clunky. The glasses seem to struggle with fast-paced conversations, which can be a bit problematic. Plus, you can only translate speech. There’s no integrated camera to help translate written content (on menus or signs, for instance) for you.
Navigation and Directions
Again, the navigation app is a little simplistic, but still helpful. When you access the app it will ask you for your location, and where you want to go, then you’ll see signals presented in front of your eyes, alongside a mini map, and an insight into how long it will take to reach your destination.
There’s no audio for auditory prompts, but it’s still much easier to find wherever you’re going by just looking at the directions ahead of you, rather than staring down at your smartphone app. One slight downside is that the directions and map can fill your entire vision at times, which is a bit problematic if you’re trying to focus on traffic and what’s going on around you.
Teleprompting
The teleprompting feature is probably one of the most useful, and polished feature of the Even Realities G1 glasses for enterprise users. You can add a script or a document to the app, and it will appear on your screen. When you start speaking, the microphone follows your voice, bolding the words you’re saying in real-time. This makes it easy to keep track of wherever you might get to in a presentation when you stop and take pauses.
You see about four lines of text on your screen at a time, which is good, in my opinion, as it ensures you’re not totally overwhelmed. Plus, since the text scrolls automatically as you speak, you don’t have to stop and tap onto a new page or paragraph.
The Even AI Assistant
Finally, there’s the Even AI assistant. When you press and hold the left control box, you’ll see a notification telling you that a bot is listening to whatever you’re saying. This bot, powered by Perplexity, can find quick answers to any questions you might have. For instance, it can search the web to tell you the answer to a quiz question, or it complete little tasks, like converting inches into centimeters, or something similar.
The assistant is helpful, but it still has a few problems – mostly in terms of latency. There are times when it can take forever for the bot to actually surface an answer to whatever you say. Still, this could be just a beta bug that may be fixed by future software updates.
Even Realities G1 Review: The Verdict
Ultimately, I think the Even Realities G1 glasses are an interesting product. They’re not trying to be the world’s most advanced AR glasses. Instead, Even Realities wanted to give users a pair of straightforward spectacles that look and feel fantastic, with a few extra bells and whistles.
The AR capabilities, and the AI features could definitely benefit from an upgrade. While Even Realities won’t be able to do much about the display without completely redesigning their specs, they could always update the AI capabilities with future software updates.
If you’re looking for a revolutionary pair of augmented reality glasses, there are better options out there. However, if you’re looking for a pair of glasses that you’ll feel comfortable and confident wearing all day long, these specs could be an excellent choice.
