Name a more ridiculous concept, we'll wait
Huawei could be working on a smartwatch that doubles up as an attachment for a pair of smartglasses, if a new patent is to be believed.
Uncovered by LetsGoDigital, the filing indicates that the Chinese company will look to combine the two smart gadgets together, with the watch appearing to form part of the glasses’ frame.
Read next: What we know so far about Huawei’s AR smartglasses
As described by Huawei, the concept would involve lightweight and inexpensive AR technology, with the smartwatch bolstering the experience by providing a camera, display and microphone on the right arm. Using an adapter to connect to the watch, the glasses work by using a mirror to beam visuals into the wearer’s eye.
This patent discovery, of course, comes after Huawei CEO Richard Yu went on record with the company’s AR ambitions in late 2018, noting that it aims to release a pair of smartglasses later this year that work in conjunction with a smartphone.
Could we see another pair, like this concept, that mesh the world of watches and glasses together? Well, based on what we know, it feels unlikely. Huawei has traditionally been a meek backer of smartwatches – even criticising its own devices in the past – so the idea that it’s planning to put one at the centre of any AR device is hard to believe.
Then there’s the obvious design questions involved with this particular concept. Even if Huawei did manage to pull it off from a logistical standpoint, does anybody really want to walk around with their watch on the right side of their head? What happens if you want AR action and a smartwatch at the same time?
So many questions, so little time. Stay tuned to see if we see any more heat on this or Huawei’s other AR exploits over the coming weeks and months.
