MemoMind One Review: Are these the first smart glasses you’ll actually want to wear?

First announced at CES 2026, XGIMI’s new MemoMind brand has been highly anticipated, as the company showcased its AR glasses at MWC 2026 and later in New York. Today, after some anticipation, XGIMI officially launches MemoMind glasses with its first One model. There are at least two options coming in the near future, and BGR has obtained an exclusive first look at the MemoMind One AR glasses. I’ve been testing them for a month.

During this time, not only was I able to take an in-depth look at these camera-less smart glasses, but I was also able to experience what it was like to use AR glasses in 2026 with friends, on the street, and even while traveling to China, where the live translation feature came in handy. As companies explore new ways to take the phone off our hands, seeing projector brand XGIMI take a chance on smart glasses was an interesting surprise. The company uses its proprietary lenses for integrated displays and continues to partner with Harman Kardon for a great audio experience when using these glasses.

In this review, we’ll look at what it’s like to use AR glasses even if you don’t have prescription lenses, how weird/innovative it’s been, and whether it’s a device that could revamp the way I interact with other technology, like my Apple Watch, AirPods, etc. This is our first in-depth review of XGIMI’s first AR glasses.

What I like most about the MemoMind smart glasses is that they look like regular glasses. With three different styles of frames, XGIMI’s main concern is how they look on people’s faces. As a result, wearing MemoMind One is like choosing a cool mount with AI and AR capabilities. Available in titanium, magnesium-aluminum or acetate, there is something for everyone.

For now, XGIMI is focusing on traditional aesthetics, but as the company gains confidence in the product, it will get new colors and frame options. During its CES announcement, the company said it would have eight different frame styles and five interchangeable temple designs.

MemoMind’s One glasses are relatively light (46.6 g) and remain comfortable after a few hours of use. I also didn’t have a problem with the glasses getting hot and they didn’t hurt my nose either. When the interior screens are off, MemoMind looks like regular glasses, and when they are on, an interior green light turns on on one of the sides that projects the image in front of you. The arms are thicker because of the Harman Kardon battery and speaker, but, overall, everything feels really premium. The glasses come with a carrying case, but it’s a shame that XGIMI doesn’t offer a charging case. The accessory is only designed to carry glasses.

Before we talk about its many AI and AR features, I think it’s important to touch on what it’s like to wear the MemoMind One. XGIMI has partnered with ZEISS to offer prescription lenses, which ensures users have perfect vision every time they wear these smart glasses. Since I don’t use prescriptions, it was a little weird having regular clear lenses, and might seem like a strange experience to anyone who doesn’t regularly wear glasses.

Although XGIMI plans to launch complementary sunglasses, which could be a great way to attract more customers into the world of smart glasses, it’s important to note that this is something Meta does very well with its own frames. Still, I didn’t feel dizzy and my eyes didn’t hurt after wearing it for a few hours with the screen off. On top of that, I feel like the XGIMI glasses fit me really well and are comfortable to wear.

On the other hand, whenever I used the AR screen for too long, such as following a conversation or trying to read my notifications, I ended up feeling tired and a little dizzy, probably because of the focal length. While my eyes didn’t cross thanks to the dual-display design, it was also difficult to read the indoor screens in outdoor environments, as the dual 2,000-nit micro-LED screen still isn’t enough when the sun is out and the sky is blue. Glasses are best suited to indoor environments or low-light spaces.

XGIMI is proud to say that there are no cameras on MemoMind, but wearing them in China made me realize that I would use them the most with live translation. Since not all conversations in Mandarin were directed at me, I felt like I was listening to people when they spoke to each other, and I was reading conversations I wasn’t supposed to hear. Since the live translation records the conversation, it’s weird that there’s no light (e.g. orange) to indicate something is happening on my glasses. Even though people looking at me could see a green light in the corner of the accessory, which is a reflection of the interior screen, they couldn’t tell what I was doing. With the growing privacy concerns around smart glasses, I think XGIMI should adjust this for a future iteration.

On top of that, XGIMI offers a few extra features, such as a hands-free assistant, an AI recorder (useful for meetings), a live AI translator with over 26 languages, and an AI teleprompter, which, even though I’m not giving speeches, I found to be a handy feature. I could also check my notifications from a few supported apps, like Messages and WhatsApp, and listen to music on Apple Music, although MemoMind couldn’t display the lyrics for me.

MemoMind One offers eight AI features with no caps or need to upgrade, including Memo AI, AI translator, recorder, captions, and teleprompter; There are also map, calendar and idea notes functions. With a MemoAI+ subscription, which costs $19.99/month, users have access to Moments, a daily AI that creates an illustrated journal of your day, the rest of your day, such as task texts and items captured during your discussions. You also get Memo AI+, which XGIMI describes as AI that knows you and doesn’t just respond to you.

As I tested this device before the proper release, I got access to Memo AI+, which I have to say is not a life-changing subscription, and it’s probably not worth it. Recommendations, obviously, are made based on things you’ve requested or saved, but they’re only a fraction of what my day is. I’ve also seen the illustrated journal feature in other AI products, and this one isn’t as impressive.

But the company offers so many great features for free that having no limits on translations or recordings is what really sets this device apart. The most important features are still available to users, and if they want a little more style, then they can pay for the upgrade.

XGIMI promises up to 16 hours of battery life in mixed use. In real life, I got several days of battery life because I put on the glasses to use a live translation and then took advantage of the AI ​​recorder during an interview or meeting, or using map navigation to go somewhere. When I was around other people but still wanted to take a second to myself, I listened to songs through the glasses because it wasn’t too loud and I could still be present in whatever I was doing.

The glasses can be navigated and customized via the single physical button, which allows you to tap pre-selected widgets, via voice control (by long-pressing this button) or with the MemoMind app. It’s through the app that I can fine-tune my experience, like what I want to see at a glance and what my interface looks like. The app also allows me to check certain tasks and see the live transcription. Some functions, such as map navigation, can only be started from the app.

With the MemoMind One glasses now available on Kickstarter, the project is already approaching half a million dollars in investment. With an MSRP of $599, MemoMind One can be had for $399, with the first batch shipping in late August for early supporters. Although the glasses have already evolved a lot over the past month, it appears that customers will get a more refined experience once the device begins to be released to the general public.

Even though AR glasses in general aren’t as life-changing as you might think, I had a lot of fun experiencing XGIMI’s out-of-the-box product. The goal is to eventually rely very little on my phone, but for the moment, MemoMind’s AI can’t do much, especially on a strict system like the iPhone. It can answer questions, but it can’t get through Apple’s own apps, where I store most of my data. It’s not really a smartphone replacement, but maybe one day.

Still, it’s a nice glimpse into the future, and XGIMI seems to have met most smart glasses requirements on its first try: it sports a beautiful design, an effortless experience, and reliable features. More importantly, the company understood that it needed to offer good glasses that can be smart when users need them to be, not the other way around.