US-based wearables company Osterhout Design Group announced two new additions to their R series of smartglasses, namely R8 and R9 at CES 2017. Having garnered a collective raise of US$ 58 million from a consortium led by 21st Century Fox, the company, known for primarily working with the US military and Department of Defense, is now seemingly venturing into the consumer market for the first time. The augmented/virtual reality glasses are aimed at providing mixed reality experiences to the customers along the same lines as Microsoft’s HoloLens, but at a fairly lesser price.
Although both the glasses are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor (which is specifically designed for VR and AR use cases), they are being set apart for entirely different sets of market. Whilst the R8 would be more consumer-driven, the R9 would be more inclined towards the development and enterprising aspect of the market.
Both of these smartglasses support Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, GPS, USB-C and incorporate Dual Microphones. However, the two are a tad bit different when it comes to some specific features. The R9 offers 50˚ field of view, 1080p resolution, 128GB storage and a 13MP front facing camera. The R8, on the other hand, offers 40˚ field of view, 720p resolution, 64GB storage and dual 1080p stereo cameras. The R9 is also reportedly heavier than the R8, with the former weighing around 6 ounces as compared to the latter’s 4.5 ounces. Input controls for both R8 and R9 are present on the body itself.
The R9 is slated to hit the market in the second quarter of the year and would be priced at US$ 1800 (Approx. Rs. 1.22 Lakhs). On the other hand, the R8 will hit the stores in the third quarter of the year and would be priced at US$ 1000 (Approx. Rs. 68,150).
