Over the past four months, a user has been testing the Even Realities G1 glasses. While the glasses have attracted comments on their stylish frames from numerous people, only two have asked if the glasses were “smart.” This discretion is commendable, especially for someone who previously wore Google Glass publicly. The G1 glasses blend seamlessly into everyday fashion and do not draw unnecessary attention to the wearer.
These smart glasses enhance the wearer’s capabilities, providing real-time language translation, AI access, turn-by-turn navigation, and a personal assistant, all without needing to remove them. Unlike other smart glasses, such as the Ray-Ban Meta, which rely on Bluetooth audio, the G1 features a small heads-up display called the Holistic Adaptive Optical System (HAOS). This system projects crisp, green digital text onto the lenses via a micro-LED optical engine, creating a floating text homepage. The functionality is impressive given the lightweight and conventional appearance of the frames.
The lenses are composed of two bonded layers, maintaining a typical thickness and weight. An additional $129 is required for prescription lenses, which function efficiently except for occasional reflections of the projector screen in bright sunlight. The glasses’ arms house rubbery nodules containing the battery, buttons, and antennae for Bluetooth data exchange with a phone. Although slightly heavier than standard glasses, the design keeps the weight balanced, ensuring comfort. Constructed from solid magnesium with silicon-coated temples, screwless hinges, and a classic oval shape, the frames are both stylish and functional.
The accompanying charging case is thoughtfully designed, offering enough power to recharge the glasses 2.5 times. The glasses themselves have a 60-mAh battery lasting approximately 1.5 days.
Functionally, the G1 glasses are not meant to replace smartphones but to provide a minimalist interface for support and information. After syncing with an app, users see a display with the date, time, battery level, and diary details upon glancing up. Although they can receive messages and alerts, responding is not possible, which is surprising given the presence of onboard microphones and transcription software.
The right side of the display features QuickNotes, which allows users to take voice notes by pinching a specific area on the right arm. Spoken words are transcribed and displayed on the screen later. The AI assistant can add details like dates and times to the user’s diary automatically.
For translation, users can select from 13 languages in the Even Realities app and have conversations translated into English. Although the translation function works reasonably well for one-on-one conversations, it remains a one-way feature without someone wearing a second pair of glasses to translate the other way.
