I can see what you can't: these Huawei glasses are simply smart

Lorenz Keller

16.9.2023

Translation: machine translated

The Huawei Eyewear II integrates headphones and controls into a classic spectacle frame. It's fascinating how compact and light the technology has become.

Smart glasses have been the talk of the town again since the announcement of the Apple Vision Pro. It is therefore not surprising that Huawei is also presenting smart glasses.

However, these are technically in a much lower league than the virtual reality headsets that are already available or will soon be. This is because the Chinese manufacturer is limiting itself to one function - but can also integrate it into a normal spectacle frame.

I was able to try out the Eyewear II briefly at the world premiere of the new Watch GT4 in Barcelona. And was surprised several times.

My prescription glasses get confused with the Eyewear II

In everyday life, I wear glasses with corrected lenses. For the hands-on (or rather nose-on) session, I took them off and put on the Eyewear II instead. Suddenly, another tech journalist comes up behind me. "May I quickly...", he says - and wants to grab the glasses lying on the table in the hands-on area. The misunderstanding is quickly cleared up. At first, he actually mistook my corrective glasses for the new product from Huawei.

This shows one thing very clearly: you can't tell that the Eyewear II has any technology in it. They look and feel like normal glasses - and are no heavier. Huawei has not yet revealed the exact weight, but the digital glasses are not much heavier than my normal frame, i.e. around 30 grams.

The Eyewear II also feels very comfortable on the nose. I could wear them all day without any problems - just like I already do today with my visual aid. Yes, the Huawei innovation can also be fitted with corrective lenses at the optician as normal. For once, spectacle wearers have no disadvantage at all.

The glasses have up to eleven hours of battery life

In terms of technology, the Eyewear II is of course a far cry from a real VR headset. Huawei limits itself to one function - but does not try to make any compromises.

The glasses have speakers, microphones and control buttons built into the temples and can be paired with a smartphone. The speakers are shielded so that only you can hear the sound at normal volume and not everyone around you. At the same time, however, you can also clearly hear all the ambient noise.

In the very loud hands-on area, this resulted in a somewhat strange mix at first. But after a minute I had adjusted to it. And then it just seemed as if music was still playing in the background. If I turn up the volume, I feel more like I'm at a concert where the audience is restless.

What I also quickly realise is that the sound quality of the Eyewear II cannot be compared with real headphones. They are perfectly adequate for listening to a podcast or making a phone call, as well as for some background music. However, music fans won't really get their money's worth.

Using the touch commands on the headband, you can adjust the volume, skip to the next track or even answer calls. The promised battery life is astonishing: up to eleven hours of pure sound playback, such as a video, and nine hours when making calls.

The predecessor, which is no longer available and was only suitable as sunglasses with its bulky frame, ran out of breath after just six hours of music playback. So Huawei has already made great progress here.

Headphones

Huawei X Gentle Monster Eyewear II Smart Lang

ANC, 5 h, Wireless

9

First impression: Impressive technology for a small target group

The Huawei Eyewear 2 will be launched on the market in mid-October at a price of around 300 francs or euros. It is not yet clear when it will be available in our shop.

The price is not actually incredibly high. Normal spectacle frames from brand manufacturers can also quickly cost between 200 and 300 francs. However, the field of application of the Eyewear 2 is very limited.

If you make a lot of phone calls, you are certainly part of the manufacturer's target group. However, we have not yet been able to test the call quality. The glasses are also likely to be of interest to anyone who wants to listen to music or podcasts in the background without being absorbed by the sound and/or visuals of their surroundings with headphones in their ears. Headphones in the ear can certainly send out a repelling signal. Simple glasses on the nose, on the other hand, are not suspicious.

Lorenz Keller

Senior Editor

Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.ch

Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.