Smart glasses are experiencing a renaissance, with new models promising seamless integration into daily life. After reviewing the Even Realities G1, I spent a week testing the XGIMI MemoMind One, a pair of smart spectacles from a company better known for projectors. The result is a fascinating product marred by a few design flaws and one deeply unsettling AI feature.
Design and comfort
Weighing just 47 grams, the MemoMind One is light and comfortable for all-day wear. The weight is evenly distributed between the hinges and the temple tips, avoiding pressure points. Unlike many competitors, XGIMI includes Harman EFX speakers in the temples, allowing music playback and calls without earbuds. The design is discreet, though the thick frames may attract curious glances.
Display and features
Each lens houses a transparent waveguide prism paired with a micro-LED projector. Information appears as a floating screen in front of your eyes. The system can display notifications, real-time captions, translations, AI responses, and turn-by-turn directions. A dashboard activated by tilting your head back provides access to your calendar, to-do list, notes, stocks, news headlines, and even teleprompter scripts. It is a Swiss Army knife for your eyes.
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Controls and interface
Unfortunately, a single physical button on the right arm handles too many functions: single press for dashboard, long press for AI assistant, double press for quick options. This leads to frequent misclicks and frustration. A second button or a touch surface would have been welcome. Nevertheless, once accustomed, the basic features like notification triage and calendar glance become extremely handy.
Translation and captions
Real-time translation works well but introduces a slight delay that can slow conversations. A peculiar feature is automatic profanity filtering: if someone insults you, the translation replaces swear words with asterisks. This may cause misunderstandings in informal settings.
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AI and smart assistant
The built-in AI assistant proved remarkably up-to-date. For instance, after Tunisia sacked Sabri Lamouchi, I asked who coaches the national team and got the correct answer instantly: Hervé Renard. This is thanks to live data access. Unfortunately, turn-by-turn navigation was not available during testing.
The dark side: Moments feature
XGIMI proudly states there is no camera to protect privacy, but this is undermined by the Moments function. The glasses' microphones constantly record ambient audio to create an automatic daily journal processed by AI. The result is often distorted: during a lunch break, watching a friend's YouTube video, the system recorded as if I had bought and unboxed a model kit, confusing my experience. Other times, it invented job interviews and meetings with nonexistent people. The weekly recap even arrived in Simplified Chinese, ignoring my language settings. A feature that feels more dystopian than useful.
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For a contrast in wearable tech ethics, check out the Clair Health noninvasive hormone tracker. Also, the debate around user-controlled algorithms in social media highlights similar data privacy issues. For more background, see the Wikipedia entry on smart glasses.
Battery life and charging
The battery promises 16 hours of mixed use and charges via a USB-C adapter that clips onto the right temple. I noticed mild skin irritation from the metal charging contacts, but overall battery life was solid even with heavy usage.
In summary, the MemoMind One is promising in many respects, but the Moments feature risks alienating users. If you can overlook that, the glasses offer an excellent second-screen experience. However, waiting for a version that prioritizes privacy without compromise might be wise.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2196666/xgimi-memomind-one-review
