philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Vuzix will sell Blade AR glasses in November, retail bundle in 2019

Having originally planned to sell its lightweight Blade AR smart glasses in 2017, VR/AR headset maker Vuzix has announced separate 2018 and 2019 ship dates for two versions of the product. The initial commercial version — called Blade Edge — will begin shipping in the first week of November, followed by a January 2019 release of Blade General with retail packaging and accessories.

The Blade smart glasses are a significant development for the AR industry because they’re the closest thing yet to a standard pair of sunglasses — their styling, thick frames, and thin lenses would sit comfortably in the mid-2000s lineup of a company like Oakley. Yet using a full color waveguide optical system, Blade pairs with a smartphone to overlap anything from map directions and weather to patient data, restaurant menus, and notifications directly in your right eye’s field of vision.

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But at just under $1,000, it’s one-third the starting price of HoloLens and less than half the price of Magic Leap One, which could make it much more viable for wide enterprise adoption.

See the full story here: https://venturebeat.com/2018/10/19/vuzix-will-sell-blade-ar-glasses-in-november-retail-bundle-in-2019/?utm_source=VentureBeat&utm_campaign=f8ca0760c1-arvr_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_89d8059242-f8ca0760c1-33364459