GlobeEar eyes wearable travel niche

OHO Sunshine has launched GlobeEar smart glasses as competition intensifies in AI-enabled eyewear, combining real-time translation, Bluetooth audio and everyday lens protection in a single lightweight frame aimed at travellers, commuters and multilingual users.
The Cheyenne, Wyoming-based smart eyewear brand is positioning GlobeEar as a daily-use device rather than a specialist gadget. The glasses combine Bluetooth 5.2 open-ear audio, hands-free calling, an AI voice assistant and real-time translation across 165 languages. The device uses a 36g TR90 frame, splash and sweat resistance, and a 200mAh battery that the company says can support up to 10 hours of continuous use.

GlobeEar’s launch reflects a broader shift in wearable technology from fitness bands and smartwatches towards ambient devices that sit closer to everyday behaviour. Smart glasses have struggled for more than a decade to balance usefulness, design and privacy concerns, but AI translation, hands-free audio and camera-free communication features are giving the category a clearer consumer purpose.

OHO Sunshine is placing emphasis on communication and comfort. Unlike camera-led smart glasses, GlobeEar’s core appeal rests on translation and audio functions that can be used while walking, travelling, working or navigating public spaces. Its open-ear speakers are designed to keep the ear canal unobstructed, allowing users to hear calls, directions or translations while remaining aware of surrounding sounds.

The lens system is central to the product pitch. GlobeEar includes Z87+ impact-rated lenses, blue-light blocking, UV400 protection and auto-photochromic adjustment. The lenses darken outdoors in bright light and clear indoors, aiming to reduce the need to switch between ordinary spectacles and sunglasses. The combination of screen comfort, outdoor protection and impact resistance gives the product a practical angle beyond audio playback.

OHO Sunshine has launched GlobeEar alongside Primex EIS, a separate 2K camera-glasses model designed for outdoor recording. Primex EIS records at 2560×1440 resolution at 30 frames per second, uses H.265 encoding, supports storage of up to 512GB and includes electronic image stabilisation for point-of-view video. The twin launch indicates that the company is splitting its portfolio between communication-led eyewear and content-capture eyewear.

The smart glasses market is becoming more crowded as large technology groups and specialist eyewear companies pursue the next consumer device category after smartphones and watches. Meta’s partnership with EssilorLuxottica has helped bring AI-enabled glasses into mainstream retail channels, while Google and Samsung are preparing AI eyewear with fashion partners including Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Lenskart has also moved into the category with smart glasses using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 platform and an AI assistant powered by Gemini.

Market forecasts point to sharp expansion, though adoption remains uneven. Smart eyewear shipments are expected to rise as display-less models become lighter, cheaper and less intrusive than augmented-reality headsets. Translation, voice assistance, navigation, hands-free calling and first-person media capture are emerging as the main use cases, while fully immersive AR remains constrained by battery life, heat, display quality and cost.

GlobeEar enters this field at a different price and positioning point from premium AI glasses. OHO Sunshine’s existing product line includes Bluetooth audio glasses, translation glasses and camera-integrated eyewear, with some models selling online at prices far below flagship smart-glasses offerings from global technology brands. That lower-cost positioning could help the company reach users who want practical features without paying for a broader ecosystem tied to a major smartphone platform.

The translation function is likely to be the strongest selling point for cross-border travellers, students and business users, particularly in situations where holding a phone-based translation app is inconvenient. Real-time translation through eyewear, however, still depends on microphone quality, app integration, background-noise handling and the accuracy of the AI service behind it. Performance in crowded streets, airports, conferences and restaurants will be decisive for whether the device is viewed as useful or merely novel.

Privacy is less prominent in GlobeEar’s communication-focused design than in camera-heavy models, but smart eyewear remains under scrutiny because it places sensors, microphones and connected software on the face. Users and bystanders may still raise concerns over recording indicators, voice capture, data handling and cloud-based translation. Brands in this category will need clear policies and visible safeguards as adoption widens.