While smart shades have not had the best run (sorry, not sorry, Google Glass), there have been aspects of the technology that have nonetheless offered potential when the focus has been on functionality over fad.
Minimis Glass is stepping up to do just that, with the world’s first standalone smart shades designed for fitness tracking, health monitoring and navigation.
The streamlined glasses, which weigh 90 g (3 oz), don’t require a secondary device to operate and can provide workout data and navigational maps in real time. They also can tap into your Spotify account, pairing with Bluetooth earbuds or headphones.
Designed by a fledgling company out of Sydney, Australia, Minimis founder Joseph Guo wanted to create something perfect for runners and cyclists, removing the need to check a phone screen or wrist tracker for performance stats or route maps.
“I started this to scratch my own itch,” said Guo. “I despise sticky running watches and also hate carrying my phone on workouts. I think bike computers are an ugly relic of the last century. It can be dangerous looking down and traveling blind for several meters at a time. The current endurance sporting experience is just so needlessly cluttered and outdated, and there's no alternative. So I made one.
“This is the beginning of a new era for sports wearables; one day we'll look back at running watches and bike computers as we do now with floppy disks and pagers. How the hell were we content with that?”
While a clear field of view is vital for activities such as running, walking and cycling, Minimis Glass keeps everything clean and simple with an OLED microdisplay in high-definition in the upper third of the glasses screen, ensuring your sight of the road ahead and around you is never obscured.
The shades take an eSIM, are equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, and run off a custom Android OS platform. They also feature a heart-rate monitor that tracks your vitals at your temple.
You can expect to get around seven hours of battery life from the two 650-mAh batteries (one in each arm), if you have the glasses powered on continuously, or 11 hours if you’re using them more intermittently.
And as you might expect from a product designed by athletes, the simple things are also provided to make an active life easier: anti-fog, water resistance, ultraviolet ray protection and transition lenses that adjust to your surroundings.
The glasses can be charged with a USB-C cable, but also come with a portable charging case if you become an early adopter (reserve a pair before August 29).
The reserve for Minimis Glass is US$699, which is 36% off its expected retail price tag and comes with a bonus charging case.
Check out this (very short) video to see the glasses in action.
Source: Minimis
