Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all issues {hardware}, together with telephones, audio merchandise, storage servers, and networking gear.
If there was one pattern this yr at CES 2026, it is AR glasses. Over a dozen manufacturers showcased new merchandise on the occasion, and what stood out was simply how a lot progress this class is making. Having used near a dozen AR glasses during the last 12 months, it was thrilling to see the likes of Even Realities G2 and Rokid’s Meta-rivaling AI Glasses.
The Dragonfly G1 Mini is fascinating as it’s considerably smaller than its predecessor, coming in at simply 0.2cc. This permits AR gadget makers to roll out glasses which might be thinner and lighter, with Appotronics touting glasses as mild as 29g — half the load of the Meta Ray-Bans.
The engine is constructed on Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) tech, and the important thing profit is that it delivers binocular imaging, so just one mild engine is required to energy a pair of AR glasses. Against this, the Meta Ray-Ban Show makes use of a monocular mild engine that is embedded in the proper lens.
One other change is that the sunshine engine is positioned within the heart of the body, and this once more permits manufacturers to ship glasses with thinner total designs or greater batteries. I talked to Chen Menghao, Normal Supervisor of the Appotronics Innovation Heart, and he indicated that the sunshine engine is being utilized in Sharge’s upcoming Loomos S1 glasses, which weigh simply 29g.
The Dragonfly C1, in the meantime, is the primary full-color dual-split LCoS design, and it delivers binocular AR show in full shade by way of a single module. That in itself is an enormous deal, and Menghao talked about how demand for AR glasses is driving innovation into chromatic mild engines. Whereas the G1 Mini makes use of a daily inexperienced LED, the C1 has RGB LEDs that allow full-color projection, unlocking a set of recent use instances.
Whereas I am but to get my arms on the Meta Ray-Ban Show, I have been utilizing Even Realities’ G2 within the final two weeks, and I actually like the truth that I can get notifications and related knowledge with out having to drag out my telephone. The G2 makes use of a daily inexperienced projection, and I am intrigued by how RGB lenses will make a distinction on this space.
The important thing takeaway after speaking to Menghao is how Appotronics is pioneering smaller optical mild engines, and it is astonishing to see how a lot progress is being made in only a matter of months. That is all the time the case with a brand new class usually, and it is clear that AR glasses will see the sort of upgrades that we bought with telephone cameras during the last decade — I am unable to wait.
