Polaris Nexus: Moderately Smart Glasses That Blend Into Your Day

The Polaris Nexus smart glasses aim for subtlety in a market increasingly populated by ambitious, feature-rich devices. Priced at 119.25 euros, these glasses fall into the category of "moderately intelligent" eyewear, focusing on integrating audio capabilities rather than complex visual interfaces or cameras.

Unlike more advanced smart glasses, the Nexus does not require a dedicated app, nor does it feature cameras or dedicated processing chips. Its primary function is as a pair of sunglasses with a classic design and polarized lenses, intended to be unobtrusive. The "smart" aspect resides in the temples, which house Bluetooth connectivity, speakers, and microphones. A key feature is their removability; users can swap the smart temples for traditional ones included in the box, effectively turning them into regular sunglasses.

However, the design choice of independent smart temples presents practical challenges. Each temple must be powered on, off, and charged separately, although a bundled cable with dual magnetic connectors allows simultaneous charging. During testing, the right temple's battery tended to deplete faster than the left. The gesture control for powering the glasses on and off was also inconsistent, sometimes failing to register or activating unintentionally.

Despite these drawbacks, the Polaris Nexus performs adequately for phone calls, allowing users to converse without holding their phone. While the experience of talking to oneself in public might still draw curious glances, the convenience is notable. The audio quality is deemed better suited for calls than for listening to music, suggesting a specific use case for these moderately smart glasses.