Epson recently expanded its Moverio smart glasses lineup. The latest is the Moverio BT-30C, which offers USB-C tethered augmented reality viewing. With a high-resolution experience on larger displays in the wearer’s line of sight, the Moverio BT-30C uses USB-C to connect to Android or Windows devices, providing a plug-and-play solution for a wide range of content.
Just $499 gets you a high-quality augmented reality experience over USB-C
When people think of augmented reality glasses, the first thing that comes to mind is likely HoloLens. HoloLens 2 might be the “gold standard” for augmented reality, but it comes with a price resembling gold itself: $3,500.
Epson’s Moverio BT-30C Smart Glasses offer “amazing color and detail” through high-resolution OLED displays for just $499. That’s 85% off the cost of HoloLens 2 and Epson’s offering is compatible with more devices as it can be used with Android.
With a plug-and-play USB-C interface, you can use the Epson Moverio BT-30C with either Android or Windows through a hassle-free experience. It offers a heads-up and hands-free experience, as the data you need will be put on transparent glasses right in front of your face. There are dark lens shades included for a “movie-theater experience when streaming videos”. When connected to Android devices, you can access Google Play Store apps, content, and more, giving near limitless experiences.
Epson Moverio BT-30C Smart Glasses features
- Vivid Color and Detail – High-resolution OLED display creates a stunning big-screen experience
- Works with Popular Smartphones and Tablets – View content from any Android mobile device with a USB Type-C1 port
- Easy Plug-and-Play Operation – Just plug it in and begin viewing content
- Heads-up, Hands-Free Experience – Sit back and enjoy content without having to hold your phone or laptop right in front of you
- Lightweight Design, Comfortable Fit – Easy to wear, even for extended periods of time; fits over a wide range of prescription glasses
- Transparent Display – Allows users to keep an eye on their surroundings
- View Popular Apps and More – When connected to Android devices with a USB Type-C1 port; access Google Play™ Store apps, content and more
- Dark Lens Shade Included – Offers movie-theater experience when streaming videos
- Developer Resources Available – Moverio SDK allows developers to access headset orientation data, side-by-side 3D display mode and other functions
- Limitless App Development Possibilities – Leverage the transparent display to create apps for captioning, subtitling, translation and more
Pricing and availability
The Epson Moverio BT-30C Smart Glasses will ship in June 2019 and are listed for $499. Pre-orders are available now, so if you’re interested in augmented reality, this is a great option.
9to5Toys’ take
With a price point of $499, the Moverio BT-30C comes in as one of the most budget-friendly augmented reality glasses we’ve seen. Even Google Glass was over $1,000. Whether you work in a warehouse, construction, or just want to play with augmented reality at home without spending thousands, Epson’s Moverio BT-30C is a great option.
Augmented reality can offer an experience that can heighten productivity on a multitude of worksites, and virtual reality brings you into an entirely new world. I’m stoked to see where these new “realities” bring us in the future as it’s inevitable that they’ll only get more affordable and smaller in design, becoming easier to incorporate in our daily lives.
[9to5-press-release]
LONG BEACH, Calif., May 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Epson today expanded its award-winning portfolio of Moverio® smart glasses with the Moverio BT-30C, delivering a high quality USB-C tethered augmented reality (AR) viewing experience. The Moverio BT-30C smart glasses offer a high-resolution, big-screen experience that is projected into a wearer’s line of sight. Utilizing USB-C connectivity with Android™ phones or Windows® PCs1, the Moverio BT-30C provides a plug-and-play solution for access to a wide range of content – from entertainment apps to content captioning and mobile games – and vastly expands AR development applications.
“Over the past eight years, Epson has been committed to expanding the applications and capabilities of the wearable display category, and the introduction of the Moverio BT-30C brings to market an affordable, high-quality and comfortable wearable display solution that leverages the content, connectivity and power of a smartphone,” said Eric Mizufuka, product manager, augmented reality, Epson America, Inc. “Whether delivering immersive mobile gaming content, real-time captioning and entertainment translation, or augmenting tourist and theme park experiences, the compact Moverio BT-30C smart glasses allow users to experience and interact with content in a whole new way.”
The unique heads-up, hands-free experience offered with the Moverio BT-30C, combined with the Moverio SDK, allows for a range of app development possibilities. The easy-to-use plug-and-play solution does not require extensive set up or additional software, and features an easy user interface that integrates with existing devices. In addition to personal entertainment use, the Moverio BT-30C can interface with custom B2B applications such as captioning, subtitling, language translations, and more.
“Epson Moverio BT-30C smart glasses are a great accessory for 5G smartphones that leverage high bandwidth to deliver premium-quality multimedia,” said Hugo Swart, head of XR, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Tethering the XR Viewer to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 5G-enabled smartphone will offer immersive ‘big-screen’ experiences and provide transformative benefits to both consumer and enterprise sectors.”
Epson first announced Moverio smart glasses in 2011 and has since continued to drive market expansion with ongoing iterations featuring technological advancements to further the wearables industry. Today, Epson has a variety of both tethered and non-tethered Moverio smart glasses available for consumers, business and enterprise applications, delivering high quality, cost-effective solutions for hands-free AR experiences.
Pricing and Availability
Moverio BT-30C smart glasses are available for pre-order through Longitude Development and will ship in June 2019 for $499 MSRP. For additional information, visit www.epson.com/moverio.
[/9to5-press-release]
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