Rokid Glasses, launching later this year at $599, offer advanced features like AI, camera, audio, and a display, with the notable advantage of supporting prescription lenses through magnetic inserts, unlike Meta's Ray-Ban Display Glasses. They also feature a unique magnetic charging solution and are more compact, though they currently have some display reflection issues and less polished design. These glasses represent a significant step forward in wearable AR technology, especially for users with high prescriptions.
Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses feature a built-in HUD and support custom prescription lenses, but these must be bonded at purchase, making aftermarket options unavailable. The glasses support various visual and communication functions, weigh 69 grams, and have a battery life of around six hours, with a high cost of $1000 including prescription bonding. Availability is limited, requiring demos at retail stores, with delivery taking 5-8 weeks.
Apple is reportedly concerned about the weight of its Vision Pro headset and is working on making the next generation lighter. The company is also facing difficulties in dealing with prescription lenses for customers. Apple is considering shipping headsets with pre-installed custom lenses to simplify the process, but this could raise concerns about becoming a health provider and limit the ability to share or resell the headset. The Apple Glasses project, which was previously put on hold, is expected to resume development at some point in the future.
Apple's future virtual reality headset may come with prescription lenses customized from the factory for people with impaired vision, potentially eliminating the need for optional lenses in retail stores. While there are concerns about the limitations of tying a product to a custom display, Apple has filed patents indicating an interest in creating a VR or AR display that can be adjusted to correct someone's vision. This could benefit customers who may not be aware of their vision issues when purchasing a new VR headset.
