Vuzix Corp. today unveiled the first augmented reality sunglasses with Amazon.com Inc.’s voice assistant built-in.

Called the Vuzix Blade, the smart glasses announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas resemble a more traditional pair of sunglasses, unlike Vuzix’s previous iterations that had various protrusions. Now, all the various components fit within the sleeker-looking frames.

Packed within the Vuzix Blade’s frame is a quad-core ARM central processing unit, an 8-megapixel camera with 1,080p video capabilities and the Android operating system. The biggest addition to the smart sunglasses, however, is the addition of Amazon’s digital assistant, making them the first AR glasses with Alexa integration.

This latest integration allows Amazon to broaden the reach of Alexa even further to third-party devices. The AR smart sunglasses will join the ranks of speakers, computers, cars, TVs and eventually wearables.

The Vuzix Blade Smart Sunglasses will provide a floating display within the wearer’s field of vision, which can be moved around by toggling a slider up and down in the device’s settings. Using Alexa, users will be able to display anything from maps and sports scores to text messages and social media notifications on the display. The 8MP camera can be used to take photos and shoot videos.

The AR sunglasses can be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or paired with an iPhone or Android device via Bluetooth, allowing the glasses to mirror all notifications coming through to their phone. The battery can last between two and 12 hours, depending on whether it’s used merely for notifications or for more battery-intensive tasks such as using Alexa to access the web, using the camera or playing games.

To control the interface, wearers can use the device’s internal voice control system, a separate system from Alexa, or a series of multi-fingered swipes on the right-hand side of the sunglasses’ frame.

Google LLC shelved its own attempts at smart glasses at the start of 2015, but Google Glass made a comeback in July with an enterprise edition. The company has been testing its Google Glass Enterprise Edition with a small group of companies, including General Electric Co., AGCO Corp., DHL International GmbH, Dignity Health, NSF International, Sutter Health, The Boeing Co. and Volkswagen AG., over the past two years.

Another tech giant has also set its sights on AR smart glasses, too. Reports emerged in November 2016 that Apple Inc. was working on a dedicated AR headset, while in March a further report claimed the company has a team dedicated to the project. The company hasn’t officially confirmed plans to build a dedicated headset, but its acquisition of mixed-reality headset developer Vrvana Inc. late last year added further fuel to the fire.

Vuzix’s latest glasses aren’t just a prototype. A developer version of the Vuzix Blade Smart Sunglasses will be available in the next few months. The developer kit can be reserved on the company’s website, and it costs $1,997.

A consumer version of the Vuzix Blade is expected in the second quarter of this year and will retail for $1,000, but the company hopes to reduce the price under $500 with future iterations. The company plans to achieve that goal by 2019, according to Vuzix Chief Executive Paul Travers.     

There are also versatile options when it comes to the lenses, allowing consumers to select prescription inserts, different colors and photochromic lenses. All the lenses offer standard ultraviolet protection.

Images: Vuzix