ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Even Realities G1 smart glasses sport an excellent micro-LED optical engine projector for display.
- These glasses can help you navigate, translate, and use them as a teleprompter.
- The G1 are expensive at $599 and costs further add up if you opt for a prescription lens.
I’ve had the Even Realities G1 Smart Glasses for a couple of months now. While I haven’t been able to wear them every day consecutively, I’ve worn them for about 30 days. My friends say these are very stylish and “don’t look like a gadget,” which is their biggest win.
So far, we’ve seen several takes on smart glasses, including the camera-enabled AI Meta Ray-Bans, Bose glasses speakers, and TCL RayNeo AR glasses, but the Even Realities G1 are none of those. They have a display and microphones but no speaker or camera. The G1 is a smart amalgamation of a minimalist feature set that feels just right, where tech takes a backseat and lifestyle sits in the front.
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The Even Realities G1 Smart Glasses need more polish, but from what I’ve experienced over the past few months, they’re improving with each upgrade. You might not want to spend $600 on a pair of smart spectacles, but these are very tempting.
The future is here
The Even Realities G1 feature a Holistic Adaptive Optical System (HAOS), which is fancy wording for two tiny displays. As shown in the title image and by contrast in the image above, the two rectangles on both lenses responsible for displaying information can be seen only at an angle. These aren’t usually visible to others.
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When you tilt your head upwards, the micro-LED optical engine projector displays green digital text at 640 x 200-pixel resolution. The resolution might not sound impressive to the smartphone spec sheet-obsessed brain, but this is an excellent display. It’s clearly visible in daylight, and you can make out details easily.
You can adjust the angle for the glance-up feature within the app. For example, I’ve set it at 20 degrees, so whenever the glasses detect my head tilting at 20 degrees, they display the screen. The dashboard shows the time, notes, notification count, and more. It might seem like this could interfere with real-life vision, but it doesn’t because you’re consciously triggering the display instead of it being perpetually present.
Even Realities have bonded two lenses to create the digital lens, but these don’t feel any heavier than my regular glasses. Unlike other bulky smart glasses, the G1 are comfortable. I love my Meta Ray-Bans, but even they are heavier than my regular pair of sunglasses. However, I haven’t experienced nose pad fatigue during my review process. The weight distribution leans more on the arms than the frame. As a result, the G1 are very comfortable. You can also get prescription lenses (costing $150 extra) and use them as regular specs like me.
The rest of the hardware includes the battery, gesture pads, screwless hinges, microphones, and antennae for interacting with the phone app over Bluetooth. Originally launched in a round design, they’ve since added another option — the Even G1 B — with rectangular frames. The frame features a matte finish and is made of solid magnesium, while the temples are coated in silicon for better grip.
These sit in a case resembling a regular glasses case, which can charge them up to 2.5 times. However, it’s been finicky for me. On more than one occasion, I found the glasses not charged to 100%, despite the case previously charging them only once.
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What the Even Realities G1 Smart Glasses can do
The Even Realities G1 have six key features. Here’s how they perform and how I’d want them to improve.
1. Notifications
When connected to the phone (almost always), the G1 displays a notification count on the dashboard. You can access these notifications by tilting your head up for a temporary look or using gestures on the touchpad if you want to view them later.
It’s a neat trick, but two things are missing. You can’t reply to notifications. I’d love for the Even AI to help me reply by dictating a message. Second, notifications need to be cleared manually. They aren’t cleared even after you’ve viewed them on your phone, which creates friction in the user experience.
2. Translate
This feature is handy when traveling to a place where you don’t speak the language. I tested it with my limited French and Spanish, and it was accurate. You choose one of the 13 supported languages, and when a person speaks in that language, the glasses display the translation on-screen.
However, this feature is one-sided. You can translate what the other person is saying, but you can’t hold a conversation unless they also have a translation device. A potential solution could involve the glasses translating their language and your smartphone translating yours into theirs.
3. QuickNote
I’ve enjoyed adding reminders with QuickNote on the G1. When you press and hold the right touchpad, the glasses display “Quick Note Recording.” I’ve used it to jot down tasks and ideas throughout the day.
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Currently, notes are displayed on the dashboard when you glance up next. I’d love to have the ability to choose which notes appear on the dashboard via the app. Sometimes, I jot down ideas for later, while other times, I need reminders for tasks to complete before the day ends.
4. Navigation
If you enjoy cycling, you’ll love this. The G1 can display turn-by-turn navigation without needing to check your phone. It’s not distracting, as the navigation is always present instead of being triggered by a glance. It’s great for walking and cycling. The catch? You need to set your destination through the Even Realities app.
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I’d prefer integration with Google or Apple Maps and the ability to ask the glasses to navigate. With built-in microphones, this seems feasible.
5. Teleprompt
The G1 doubles as a teleprompter for presentations. The audience won’t notice you’re reading from a screen. Simply add your script to the app, and it appears on the projector screen, bolding words in real time. This is one of the most polished features.
6. Even AI
Powered by Perplexity, the Even AI can perform simple tasks like calculations and unit conversions. However, it needs to be quicker. I’d rather use my smartphone than wait for a query to be completed. This feature is still in beta.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Like every other first-gen product, the Even Realities G1 suffer from being less accessible. These glasses are expensive at $599–>, with additional costs for prescription lenses ($150) or clip-ons ($100) to double as sunglasses. Moreover, most features need more polish.
The Even Realities G1 hardware is brilliant, and the glasses last an entire day easily. I charge them every night before bed. Over time, they’ve only improved with each update. I see the vision and am on board if Even Realities continues refining the feature set. Features like dashboard customization, Google Maps integration, and voice-activated navigation would make the G1 even better.
These are promising smart glasses that I don’t want to put down.
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