Last night, Razer released the Anzu glasses, the brand's smart glasses with built-in speakers that play music through the user's temples. The glasses also include a microphone and low latency audio Bluetooth along with touch controllers to change songs, control the volume, answer calls, and use the voice assistant. The glasses come in sizes small/medium or medium/large, in square or round frames, and with blue light or UV light protection. The Anzu smart glasses were released at a price of $199.99, making them some of the least expensive options when it comes to smart glasses.
Razer is not the first brand to release smart glasses. Bose's sunglasses were first introduced in 2018 and last year the brand released a third pair by the end of the year. The new glasses are available for purchase on Amazon for $250. Even though Bose has not had much competition when it comes to smart sunglasses, Razer might just change that with the Anzu glasses which offer a less chunky design for $50 less.
When in use, the Anzu glasses can last for up to five hours. However, the battery can last for days when the glasses are folded and kept on standby. Razer's smart glasses are also water-resistant which means they can withstand light rain or sweat. Asides from the glasses, Razer is also looking to offer other types of tech-infused wear like Project Hazel Masks which are yet to be released but promise to be an innovative take on masks perfect for pandemic times.
Even though the Anzu glasses look promising and they offer a blue light filtering feature that is not offered by its competitors, Razer still needs to prove that its product will outperform other brands and continue to offer high-quality products. Bose's glasses focus mostly on audio and, when it comes to a device that has to compete with ambient sound at all times, it is a feature that cannot be overlooked. Other smart glasses, like Amazon's, offer Alexa connectivity which could be an important perk for some users.
On the other hand, Razer is offering a 15% discount through its partner Lensable for users who need prescription glasses. This means that users can get prescription lenses for their Anzu glasses so visibility does not have to be sacrificed for the sake of the other perks of the smart glasses. The Anzu glasses are only being sold through Razer's official webpage but, unfortunately, Razer's Anzu glasses were sold out almost immediately and Razer has not disclosed when there will be re-stocked. Most likely, Razer will announce more about the Anzu glasses and the rest of its products in the upcoming DevCon event.
Source: IGN