The flow of news keeps Sony on our radar, but we've already had enough of bad news. This time, the Japanese giant has announced the development of a compact system with functions similar to those of Google Glass, though the difference between the two is that Sony's solution can adapt to any pair of glasses, especially those used in sports.
During its development, Google Glass has faced all sorts of criticism, but one of the most important is the lack of functions on the device. More than once I've read that those with access to Glass ended up using the gadget to take photos and nothing else. Plans to incorporate a more elaborate support for augmented reality and recognition as seen in that original promotional video seem to be far away, though anything is possible if the hardware change materializes.
Technical details
The device doesn't have a formal name yet, but several colleague media outlets have decided to call it "Sony Smart Glass", "Single-Lens Display Module", or simply "Clip-On", due to the possibility of installing it on any type of glasses. The first technical feature to highlight is that Sony's development uses an OLED display with a resolution of 640 by 400 pixels. Compared to Google Glass (640 by 360), the difference is minimal, but the application of OLED technology makes the screen much more efficient, which in turn optimizes the performance of its battery (400 mAh). The SoC is a low-power ARM Cortex-A7 variant, connectivity is WiFi n and Bluetooth 3.0, and as far as we can see it doesn't have an integrated camera. This detail could help Sony's device to eliminate any major privacy complaints at the root.
SDK and launch plans
Sony has confirmed that it will provide a compatible SDK to partners who wish to develop content for the accessory. The first public glimpse will happen at CES 2015, and if all goes well, the "Clip-On" would enter production next year, to officially reach store shelves in 2016. The truth is that Sony has more or less the same challenges ahead as Google with this development. It will not only have to convince people that it's worth buying one, but also need to work very hard on generating applications. Solid support for augmented reality could give it the ideal advantage.
