Huawei and Gentle Monster, a sunglass and eyeglass brand from Korea, have collaborated on a line of eyeglasses that contain electronics for talking and listening to audio, according to reports.
The companies aren’t releasing a single model of glasses, but rather an assortment. The glasses, which are being touted as potential replacements for earbuds, will let people talk on the phone without putting anything into their ears.
To answer a phone call, a user can simply tap the temple of the glasses. All of the technology – including the antenna, dual microphone, chipset, battery, speaker and charging module – is housed inside the glasses. The two microphones are designed to capture the user’s voice. The speakers are positioned near the ears, and are intended to only be heard by the user. The device does not have a camera, a move analysts say is meant to forego potential privacy issues.
The glasses will have a USB-C port and a leather case, and will also have the capability to be charged wirelessly. They are expected to be available around July of 2019.
In other Huawei news, the company was recently barred by Congress for fear of potential spying operations by the Chinese government.
In February, President Donald Trump told U.S. companies they need to work harder to build 5G networks, and that they should lead by competition and not by blocking other companies, according to reports.
“American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind,” Trump tweeted on Thursday (Feb. 21). “There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on something that is so obviously the future.”
Telecoms around the world are competing to finish and implement 5G networks, which promise speedier connections and could have implications in self-driving cars and even surgeries. China slightly leads the pack, according to research by the trade group CTIA, as does South Korea, with the U.S. lagging behind.
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