How does Google Glass compare and contrast with Vergence Labs' Epiphany Eyewear?

Good comparison article by : http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/05/why-wait-for-google-glass-epiphany-eyewear-is-here-now-exclusive/ Here's another great article from Andy Karp of : If you're hungry for a pair of smart specs but don't want to look like a cyborg, check out Epiphany Eyewear. http://www.visionmonday.com/eye2/newsletter/2369/content/40244/ Specifically, has many important features that Google lacks: Live-streaming your POV to your Facebook wall Electric-powered sunglasses. Press a button to turn the eyewear lenses light or dark instantly Fours layers of AR anti-reflective coating Four layers of UV protection Frames built with a high-quality and versatile state-of-the-art "shape-memory" nylon material referred to as "plastic titanium" Spring hinges that hold the glasses on your face comfortably Intuitive, one-button, tactile control -- as opposed to Google's complex multimodal interface Epiphany Eyewear fully supports prescription lenses using eyewear industry standards Incredibly high quality five-layer camera optics Focus on design and ease of use In conclusion: Epiphany has more “eyewear features”, whereas Glass appears to have more “electronics features”. Epiphany Eyewear is designed with plastic titanium frame material to be both comfortable and durable. Epiphany has incredible electric powered sunglasses. Overall, Epiphany has an emphasis on design, fit, & feel, and works very hard to blend nicely with your own personal sense of style. Glass: Consumer electronics for your face. Epiphany: Great designer glasses, that happen to contain an incredibly powerful social computer.

These products can't really be compared to each other. Well, you can, but it really makes Epiphany Eyewear seem like a child's toy compared to Google Glass. Since Google Glass is the leader in this product category, it makes sense to attach and compare to Google Glass to try to get more exposure. I decided to review both of these because I am a believer in HMD's, at least I believe that HMD's will have their day in the sun until implants or lenses kill that market. Here are some of my thoughts, I consider it a work in progress and am happy to hear some of your comments. Price This is going to be a huge one. Obviously Epiphany will be cheaper than Google Glass. But, it seems that you'd really get what you pay for. It seems like all you get with Epiphany is a pair of hipster glasses with an integrated camera... that, may or may not have some social integration. Actually I see this as an opportunity for Epiphany, or any other smart glasses company, to find their niche as a "cheaper Google Glass". This is the only place another company could even stand a chance in this market. Look / External Appearance I've complained and ranted about how stupid Google Glass look (although I'd still wear them ;)). The look of these glasses, and how to compare, gets pretty complicated.  Some people will prefer to buy Google Glass even though they don't look very natural. I think the success in this market, in regards to how the product looks, will be dominated by the product that doesn't totally look like shit, as in, doesn't look like you're wearing a pager on your face, but still looks like you are wearing a piece of technology... not just a common pair of sunglasses. When looked at in this light, Epiphany and other smart glasses would not be effective. I think Epiphany would be served well by also making a less hipster looking style frame, and a more professional style. We have to remember that we live in a society where people like to show off brands, and the things they buy. If I buy some Epiphany glasses right now, other people might not be able to distinguish them from 5$ glasses I can buy from popup stores. Our electronics have evolved into a modern kind of jewelry; if we can't show them off, if we can't take one look and immediately know what it is, it might not be worth buying. This is how brands can become more effective than their superior competitors simple because they are recognizable. I bought my iPhone 5, and chose the white metallic one because it more resembles a piece of jewelry (as opposed to black). I don't even put a case on it because it looks more beautiful that way and is more obvious to others what it is immediately upon looking at it... i.e. I get more value from the phone this way. Branding Epiphany Perhaps they should go to the drawing board to find a more succinct product name. Well, maybe Epiphany is ok, at least for an umbrella company name, but I suggest coming up with very catchy, short names for each model of glasses. Something like Epiphany Alpha Shades or Beta 1's. Maybe these names sound stupid, but you get the point. I seriously doubt "video eyewear" is going to be a product category. I also think Epiphany, or Vergence Labs needs to figure out what name they want to choose, bot domain and brand name so they don't confuse customers. Functions / Features Google glass does quite a few things: http://www.google.com/glass/start/what-it-does/ But Epiphany only really records video (and allows you to upload it to Facebook). It almost makes me wonder why even buy something like that. I used to work for a company that mounted secret cameras to people to record customer experiences, this might be a good use, but beyond that, I just don't see a market for that. if there is only a video camera, would i want to buy that? my guess is a lot of people wouldn't, because a very short portion of the time is spent filming video. does it take pictures? i get totally confused as to what Epiphany even does and i think that should be more clear on their site. API's / Integration Google http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/google-glasses-api-details-revealed-by-google-14-03-2013/. Not only will Glass have an API, but there will likely be major integrations with other Android devices. I can't imagine another wearable smart device competing with Google because this huge advantage. Not only that, but google will have a rich set of apps that can be built for Glass, allowing the developers to use the glasses in totally new ways. Epiphany As an API developer, I think that Epiphany Eyewear could really do a better job showing me how I can actually develop software applications that interface with their product. Update: this is not possible with the current version of Epiphany Eyewear.

Epiphany is a one trick pony. Glass is a couple trick pony.