Sony takes pre-orders for smart glasses

The SmartEyeglass will come with a developer kit so that wearers can create apps for it

A developer edition of Sony's augmented reality smart glasses will go on sale in ten countries next month, the tech giant has announced.

Pre-orders for the SmartEyeglass, costing $840 (£620), are now being taken in the UK and Germany, with Japan and the US to follow shortly.

The black-framed glasses are compatible with recent Android operating systems.

Last month Google announced that it was withdrawing its smart glasses for redevelopment.

Sony's initial model will come with a software development kit to encourage people to design apps for it, the company said.

The glasses, which weigh 77g, contain an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, image and brightness sensors, 3-megapixel camera and a microphone.

They also come with a controller, designed to be attached to clothing, which contains a speaker, touch sensor and the device's battery.

Text is displayed in front of the wearer in monochrome green.

'Intrusive'

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has been open about his dislike of glasses as a wearable device.

"We always thought that glasses were not a smart move, from a point of view that people would not really want to wear them," he told the New Yorker.

"They were intrusive, instead of pushing technology to the background, as we've always believed."

Stuart Miles, founder of tech site Pocket-lint, said: "I think [Sony is] wasting their time, energy and effort.

"Google Glass obviously needed a complete rethink... I can't see how something thick-rimmed and more invasive-looking than Google Glass is going to catch on.

"People are keen on wearables like fitness bands and watches, but they care about their faces. Wearing something on your head is a lot stronger than wearing something on your arm," he added.

"The industry keeps pushing it but consumers just don't want it."