Sony's Answer To Google Glass Available On Pre-order For $840

Google might have already jumped onto the wearable computing bandwagon and abandoned it like many of its prematurely aborted projects, but that hasn't fazed Sony from getting into the fray. Sony has made its version of augmented reality glasses in the vein of Google Glass available for pre-order for developers from its online store.

The glasses bear a rather lengthy title: SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1. The pre-order price has been pegged at $840, which is cheaper than the $1,500 asking price of the Google equivalent, according to Gamespot. However, the general first impressions on the product make it seem even less visually appealing than Google Glass.

For one, Sony's augmented reality glasses reportedly look bulkier compared with Google Glass, with the thick black rim making their heft even more conspicuous. Another issue is the hockey puck-like wired controller that's tethered to the frame, which requires the user to talk down to a hockey puck chained to the head.

The SmartEyeglass incorporates a 3 MP camera and the augmented reality information is overlaid onto the viewer's field of vision using a thin transparent screen embedded within the lenses. The eyepiece weighs in at a relatively light 77 g, according to BBC, which reportedly seems pretty light for an AR wearable device. The main reason for the weight saving is the location of the battery pack. The hockey puck controller houses the battery, in addition to a speaker, microphone for voice commands and a small touch interface.

Sony's PR campaign for the augmented reality product has touted a "new world" of possibilities with its take on wearable computing. The promo video can be viewed below, which shows a woman walking around in a modern city sending messages, taking pictures and generally setting up a meeting with a friend using Sony's SmartEyeglass. The video shows the ability of the AR glasses to be paired with Android smartphones to enable features such as turn-by-turn navigation and voice-activated text messaging.

Meanwhile, the company has thrown open the SDK so that developers could jump in ad think up more ingenious applications for the wearable device. The SmartEteglass will begin shipping to U.S., UK, Germany and Japan next month.

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SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 (Credit: SonyXperiaDev YouTube channel)