Rokid Max has a different field of view

The Rokid Max glasses ($439) offer a basic augmented reality experience, unlike the competing TCL NXTWear S ($399) which offer full contextual information. It projects images in front of the eyes, similar to a face-mounted monitor, and offers motion-based functionality through a companion Android mobile app. Although the price is slightly higher, the Rokid Max glasses have a wider field of view of 7 degrees. Additionally, they offer a diopter adjustment dial so that myopic users don't have to order separate prescription lens inserts, which is only available on the pricier Viture One ($549) glasses. While Rokid Max glasses don't look like regular sunglasses, their wider field of view sets them apart.

Design: Functional, not subtle

Rokid markets the Max as smart glasses, but they're more like a head-mounted display that provides a near-transparent view of everything around you Projects bright, colorful pictures onto the screen. They're not overly bulky or scream "AR display," but their huge, almost bug-like oval front lens definitely makes them look less like regular sunglasses than the TCL NXTWear S. The lenses are tinted, but not as much as the TCL NXTWear S. NXTWear S sunshield, so Rokid includes an opaque black plastic snap-on eyeglass cover. It effectively blocks bright light that makes images difficult to see, but also makes the glasses look less subtle when in use.

The volume rocker and brightness cycle button are located on the underside of the right temple. Meanwhile, there's a USB-C port on the end of the left temple that can be connected to compatible devices using the included USB-C to USB-C cable. It's more secure than the magnetic connector on the NXTWear S and less prone to disconnection, but the downside is that the cable is more likely to pull on your head or yank on the connected device if you accidentally pull it apart.

The best physical properties of the Rokid Max are on the inward facing lenses. Two small diopter wheels allow you to adjust the distance of the lens from your eye for focusing. This means that even if you are nearsighted, you can have your glasses look clear without having to order prescription lenses like you would with NXTWear S.

Image: Field of view makes a difference

Nearly every major pair of AR/video glasses on the market today uses tiny OLED displays that project a 1080p image to each eye. This makes them equally bright and vivid, but they differ in field of view and refresh rate. The Rokid Max glasses feature a 50-degree diagonal field of view, one of the widest we've seen in their class. By comparison, the NXTWear S glasses have a field of view of 45 degrees, and the Viture One has a narrower field of view of 43 degrees.

Field of view is related to the amount of visual space occupied by the moving image, which not only affects how big your eyes look, but also affects how flexible the glasses are in terms of fit and wear. For example, the NXTWear S glasses need to be placed in a slightly frustrating little sweet spot to see all the pictures. The Rokid Max glasses, on the other hand, are very easy to align and display one of the widest images I've ever seen.

Remember, AR is not VR, and while VR headsets take up almost all of your line of sight, they use lenses that refract the projected image and leave no peripheral space to view your surroundings environment. Newer headsets like the Meta Quest 3 feature color pass-through cameras that can provide this kind of view, but they're not as clear and undistorted as simply observing everything around you.

Connectivity: USB-C DP or Adapter
Like most AR glasses, the Rokid Max uses DisplayPort over USB-C for power and video. With most modern laptops, you should just plug the cable into a USB-C port. With Android phones, your experience is hit or miss; Motorola smartphones generally support USB-C video, but Google and Samsung smartphones don't. Rokid doesn't offer a USB-C video adapter for Galaxy or Pixel phones (or a Lightning connector for older iPhones), but third-party adapters are available. For consoles and PCs without USB-C DisplayPort, Rokid sells an HDMI to USB-C converter for $39.

If your phone supports USB-C DisplayPort, you can run the Android-only Rokid AR app for a more immersive AR experience. It uses the glasses' motion sensors to provide a virtual floating interface in front of you that maintains its orientation relative to where you sit as you move your head, rather than appearing as a flat, fixed image. It also turns your phone into an air mouse, allowing you to wave your hand at menu options on a virtual screen.

Like all the AR apps for video glasses we've seen so far, it's a very limited tool that lets you watch videos, view images, and browse the web. It also offers a range of downloadable AR add-on apps, but the selection is slim. The Rokid Max can't track its surroundings, and if it can't determine what's in your reality, it can't really enhance it.

The optional Rokid Station ($99 bundled with Rokid Max or $199 separately) is a standalone Android TV-based device that outputs directly to the glasses via a USB-C port. It's about the size of a phone, has buttons like a media streaming remote, and offers five hours of battery life on a single charge. It's capable if you mainly want to stream or do some very light work by pairing with a keyboard, but Android TV is an aging operating system and it's far less capable than the more streamlined Google TV. Not as powerful as pure Android.

Experience: Can be worn almost anywhere

The TCL NXTWear S started to show me how useful AR glasses could be for work and play, but the Rokid Max actually sold me on the concept. Their wider field of view and diopter adjustment make a big difference to the experience because I don't have to struggle to find the sweet spot or get extra lens inserts. I'm sitting in a cafe writing this review with my glasses on (and not paying much attention). The pictures are bright, the text is clear, and the glasses are comfortable.

While the glasses do get a little warm after prolonged use, they don’t seem to get as hot as the NXTWear S. I had no issues using them for relatively long periods of time (with breaks in between to give my eyes a rest, as I recommend for any head-mounted display).

High-quality glasses for niche use cases

The Rokid Max glasses can be used as an external monitor for your laptop, providing bright, colorful pictures and visual privacy. Their bulbous appearance makes them less stealthy than competitors like the NXTWear S and Viture One, but they put a bigger picture before your eyes thanks to a wider 50-degree diagonal field of view. We also appreciate their diopter adjustment dial, which allows for clear vision without the need for separate prescription lens insertions if you're nearsighted. While the use case for this type of glasses is admittedly niche, the Rokid Max has helped solidify the category as one worth paying attention to.

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