Xiaomi launches prototype AR glasses that pair with a phone with just a tap

One of the hottest buzzwords at Mobile World Congress 2023 is augmented reality (AR). A ton of companies think AR is the future, and Xiaomi is joining in the chorus.

The company just announced the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition at MWC. These AR glasses pair wirelessly with your smartphone using an NFC tap. Once connected, you can view the real world with controls and information overlaid on top.

From a hardware perspective, the glasses include thick black frames with high-resolution micro-LED lenses attached that provide the AR experience. These lenses are capable of 1,200 nits peak brightness and provide a “retina-level” experience.

The battery inside the glasses is of the silicon-oxygen anode variety, allowing it to be smaller than the traditional lithium-ion batteries we see in most electronics nowadays. It also allows the glasses to be relatively light at just 126 grams.

Under the hood, you’ll find the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 processor, which gives the glasses the smarts they need.

Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition: What can they do?

In the video above, Xiaomi gives plenty of examples of things you can do with these prototype AR glasses. Since there are hand-tracking cameras all around the glasses, you can use your hands naturally to manipulate the AR controls. Examples include flicking pages of a book, moving text boxes and control panels around the environment, and even pressing virtual buttons.

The cameras also allow the glasses to be context aware. An example of this is being able to turn a smart light on or off within your home. The glasses will know where you are and automatically connect to the smart light, so you can “flick” it on using your finger from the other side of the room.

One of the coolest features, though, is the electrochromic glass covering the exterior lenses (not the AR lenses, the “traditional” lenses). This allows you to darken your glasses with the push of a button, giving more immersion when doing things like working, watching video content, or simply trying to focus by dimming down the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, Xiaomi didn’t give any info on pricing or availability for the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition. Given that they are just a prototype, it’s possible we’ll never see these in a commercial space. Even if we do, they could look and function differently than what we see here.