Xiaomi Unveils AR Glasses with ‘Retina-Level’ Display at MWC 2023

Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, the company’s latest augmented reality (AR) wearable device, was unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona. A prototype of the company’s latest innovation in AR and VR technology, these AR glasses are powered by Qualcomm’s latest XR platforms. It features an advanced “retina-level” display that’s designed to connect wirelessly to a smartphone and reportedly offers a latency of just 50ms.

According to the company, the new Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition are built with lightweight materials, including magnesium-lithium alloy and carbon fiber parts. The glasses also pack a silicon-oxygen anode battery, and Xiaomi says they weigh just 126 grams. They come equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 platform, and applications can use the Snapdragon Spaces XR development platform to provide various features.

Xiaomi say Xiaomi’s wireless AR glasses are among the first in the industry to achieve a “retina-level” display. The company says that when the angular resolution (or pixels per degree, or PPD) of a display reaches 60, pixels become indistinguishable to the human eye. The Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition has a PPD of 58, according to the company.

Xiaomi’s AR glasses feature dual Micro OLED displays with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits that are fitted with free-form light-guiding prisms. The final image is displayed in front of the wearer’s eyes after being reflected by three surfaces within the prisms, Xiaomi explained, adding that it has equipped the glasses with electrochromic lenses that can display a “blackout mode” for VR-like experiences.

According to details shared by Xiaomi, the new wireless AR glasses are equipped with a low-power AON camera. This allows it to support gesture interaction for longer periods of time. However, users can rely on their smartphone for controls – these are used in the form of a gesture or touchpad control.

These AR glasses support micro-gesture interaction for one-handed gesture control using the inner area of ​​the wearer’s fingers. Using the second joint of the middle finger, users can use the second joint of their index finger for the “up” control, while surrounding areas control the other directional controls. Users can also slide their thumb over their index finger to open and close applications.

In terms of connectivity, the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition offers seamless wireless connections with the Xiaomi 13 series handsets that have made their debut in the global markets. The company says that users will see a latency of just 50ms with full link latency, while the company’s proprietary low latency communication link reduces the latency to 3ms.

These wireless glasses will also work with Snapdragon Spaces-ready smartphones. It’s worth noting that the OnePlus 11 5G that was recently launched in India is said to be the company’s first Snapdragon Spaces-ready phone to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.