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Rokid Glasses are launching internationally They’re set to cost $599 (around £355 / AU$920) and launch in November These are cheaper, but arriving later than Meta's rumored smart glasses with a display We’re just a couple of weeks out from Meta Connect, where we’ll likely see the company’s first Ray-Ban smart glasses with a display, but a rival has beaten them to the punch with a pair of specs that look to go toe-to-toe with what Meta’s offering. That’s because we just had the international launch event for the Rokid Glasses, which are up now on Kickstarter if you want to score a pair with a limited-time discount (ranging from 20 to 15% depending on which early bird deal you can snag). At a glance, they share a lot of similarities with Meta’s existing smart specs – we’re talking a 12MP camera, open-ear speakers, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 chipset. You’ll also get an onboard AI assistant, which is “ChatGPT 5 empowered,” if you have an internet connection. These Rokid glasses take things up a notch, however, as they also boast a pair of Micro LED waveguide displays that serve as a heads-up display for directions, real-time translation, and as a prompter. (Image credit: Rokid) Another feature teased by promotional imagery is that the glasses can – just like Meta’s smart specs – identify things you can see when requested. Still, with the display, they’ll also highlight what they’ve identified. This would be very handy for making sure there’s no confusion between what you wanted to know more about and what the glasses are informing you on. These screens look to appear conveniently in your vision – but a little out of the way to not be too distracting – though they’re not full-color. You can only see green text and shapes. Regardless, it certainly seems like Rokid’s specs could be a real winner if they can live up to the hype. Especially because – even before any early-bird discounts – they’re set to cost $599 (around £355 / AU$920). That’s considerably less than the $800 (£590 / AU$1,230) Meta’s specs are rumored to cost . Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Rokid) Image 2 of 2 (Image credit: Rokid) I wouldn’t count Meta out yet, however, as in the smart glasses race, they have a proven track record with some very stylish (yet functional) specs with both its Ray-Ban and more recently its Oakley collaborations. What’s more, rumors suggest Meta’s glasses will boast a full-color display – though it’ll only be visible to a single eye. This, however, would make it a more versatile screen. As for the price difference, when you factor in that Meta’s specs always come with a charging case (so presumably its new model would too) then it’s only set to be about $100 pricier, as Rokid’s glasses with a charging case will set you back $698 (around £395 / AU$1,075). It’s also likely Meta’s specs will actually arrive sooner, as Connect is in September and the tech typically launches within a month after. The Rokid Glasses aren’t being shipped from Kickstarter until Novemb
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Original reporting: Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion