Sony is to start selling a test edition of its augmented reality eyewear, just weeks after Google announced it was postponing a similar project.
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.
View a demo of the eyewear in action below:
