From Project Orion to Snapchat Spectacles and X-Real Glasses with Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, which are likely stealing the show with the most adoption, there’s no shortage of contenders for the best smart glasses in 2024.
Rather than tossing a microphone or set of speakers into glasses, Chamelo is taking a more fundamental approach to take the hassle out of swapping glasses for sunglasses. Its new eyewear model, Prime, can automatically transition from glasses to sunglasses thanks to a light sensor built into the bridge.
This piece of tech, paired with the aptly named 'Autopilot' feature – not to be confused with Tesla’s self-driving mode – will automatically adjust the tint of the lenses based on the conditions you’re in. For instance, if you’re walking outside on a sunny fall day, the lenses might adjust to a higher tint to protect your eyes.
Pretty handy – and Chamelo promises that tint adjustment takes just 0.1 seconds. The proprietary Eclipse Tint-Adjustable lenses can be adjusted between four tint levels, from 9% to 45%. The lenses themselves offer 100% UV protection and come in two finishes: smoke, which looks like classic black shades, and Fire, which has an orange mirrored finish.
If you require prescription lenses, though, you’re out of luck for the moment. Chamelo doesn’t yet offer prescription lenses, and you can’t swap the lenses for off-the-shelf ones. However, the brand does plan to offer these additional lens types at some point.
The black frame is made of thermoplastic, specifically TR90, and weighs 30 grams, and the glasses offer protection against sweat or water up to the IPX4 standard. If you’d rather adjust the level of tint on your own, you can override the ‘Autopilot’ feature and manually swipe on the arm to change the tint across the four levels.
Chamelo’s Prime glasses – and sunglasses – are set to ship from December priced at $249 / £249 / AU$399. An international launch is planned, but the UK and Australia pricing isn’t yet available. If you’re in the United States and are already sold, you can lock in an order now at $199 after an instant $50 discount.
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