Inside the RayNeo iO: A Teardown of Smart Glasses That Look Like Ordinary Glasses
イチケン / ICHIKEN
Most smart glasses are bulky enough that anyone can tell you're wearing them. The RayNeo iO is different: it looks much like a regular pair of glasses. In this video, electronics YouTuber Ichiken uses the glasses day to day and then takes them apart to answer one question: how is a smart-glasses design this sleek possible now? His answer, reached at the end of the teardown, is that the iO deliberately does very little on its own and hands the heavy work to a smartphone.
Exterior and Controls
Ichiken first compares the iO with the glasses he normally wears. The frame is thin for smart glasses. The one visibly larger section is the part of each temple that hooks over the ear, where he suspected the battery sits. Apart from that section, he says they look almost like regular glasses.
The glasses are controlled with a physical knob instead of a touch surface. Ichiken prefers this. In his experience, touch controls sometimes fail to register or respond in unexpected ways. The knob rotates smoothly with no detents and gives a clear click when pressed, and he calls it "actually pretty good." He adds that he would also like RayNeo to release a version controlled by a ring, as some other smart glasses are.
He points out that the iO has no camera, which is common on smart glasses, and no speaker. He believes leaving these out is what lets the design stay so clean.
The Display and Dashboard
The AR display area is fairly small, and Ichiken shows how little of the lens it covers. The upside is that AR content doesn't get in the way of normal vision. The downside is that the small area limits how much information fits on screen. He would like a setting to widen the display area.
Turning the knob cycles through the display. The glasses themselves give access to these functions:
- Voice Memos
- Live Captions
- Live Hints
- Tasks
- Teleprompter
- Life Log
- Focus
Detailed settings for each function are made in the companion smartphone app.
The dashboard shows to-do lists, calendar entries, and email. Google Calendar and Gmail both synced successfully, but Ichiken found the Gmail integration of little use for now. Only the first part of each message appears, and he couldn't read the full content or reply from the glasses. He found the Google Calendar integration genuinely useful. He could check his schedule in AR and add events by voice. In the demo he says "Hey RayNeo," then asks for a lunch meeting tomorrow at 12:00 and a planning meeting at 1:00 p.m. Both events appeared on the glasses and in Google Calendar.
Events cannot be deleted from the glasses, which Ichiken describes as a safety-minded design choice. He did find one real problem. When he deleted an event in Google Calendar, the change took anywhere from tens of minutes to several hours to reach the glasses, and he advises viewers to watch out for this.
Voice Memos, Life Log, and Notifications
Ichiken covers voice memos only briefly because nearly all smart glasses have them. Recordings are transcribed and summarized, and the app can turn them into a mind map, which the user can edit.
Life Log is related but runs automatically. When a conversation starts or audio is detected, it begins recording and takes notes on the content. It runs throughout the day and compiles a summary at 10 p.m., meant as a way to look back on the day. Ichiken's own summary came out quite confusing. He explains that he hadn't talked much that day, and he concludes the feature seems to need more input to work well. He also noticed that audio from videos he watched during the day had been included in the summary.
The glasses can also mirror smartphone notifications in AR. He shows alerts from a SwitchBot security camera and from LINE, and he thought this was a pretty good feature.
Live Captions and Translation
Live Captions displays what another person is saying on the AR screen. Ichiken tested it by playing one of his own Japanese videos, which compares a high-end Hioki DT4282 digital multimeter (about 50,000–60,000 yen) with a budget meter bought on Amazon. The Japanese captions matched the speech. He also showed English captions for an English video, English translation of the Japanese video, and Japanese translation of an English video.
Translation keeps up when people speak slowly but falls behind as speech gets faster. Ichiken explains why. The glasses don't translate anything themselves. They send the audio to the smartphone over Bluetooth, the translation happens there, and the result is sent back to the display. He says the translation feels a bit clunky as a result, but it does translate everything that is said.
Filming This Video with the Teleprompter
Ichiken then reveals that he read this video's script from the glasses' teleprompter. He suggests attentive viewers may have noticed his gaze wandering more than usual. He likes that the text scrolls automatically as he reads aloud. He writes scripts even for on-location shoots, so he expects the teleprompter to be very handy for his work.
Fit, Weight, and Prescription Lenses
Prescription lenses cost extra and are ordered at purchase. You enter your prescription and the lens itself is replaced, rather than adding a clip-on lens later. Ichiken couldn't choose lenses for this review unit, so he wore contact lenses.
The glasses weigh 33.6 g, or 37.2 g with the silicone ear-hook covers. He calls this light for smart glasses and says he hardly notices the weight. He thinks the silicone covers may not even be necessary. He felt almost no pressure, could wear them for long periods, and they stayed on when he looked down. He credits this to the low weight.
The temples are metal, so he adjusted the fit by bending them slightly. He says this is probably not an officially recommended method and viewers shouldn't copy it. He included it because a review should show things others don't. The lenses sit close to the eyes, so the frame doesn't narrow his field of view, and in that respect he says they are much the same as regular glasses.
Battery Life and Charging
Ichiken says battery life is good and usually lasts a full day. He attributes this to the iO being essentially an input/output device that does no heavy processing itself.
In his charging test, 10 minutes took the battery from 9% to 41%, and 20 minutes took it from 9% to 67%. The glasses keep working while charging. That looks a little odd, but he considers it acceptable if the battery runs out. A charging case is also available, sold separately.
Connectivity, Software, and Subscription
The glasses handle audio input and display output, so they can't be used without a paired smartphone, and the phone effectively needs an internet connection. Voice memos and the teleprompter work offline. Transcription and translation require internet, which Ichiken guesses is because neither the glasses nor the phone performs them locally. Overall, he says the iO is usable enough to wear all day, rather than something you only put on when needed.
On custom apps, Ichiken notes that Android-based smart glasses often let users install their own apps. The iO's manual lists its OS as "RTOS," and the app calls it StrixOS. When he made the video, no SDK information had been released, so he didn't know whether custom apps would be possible. His guess, based on using the glasses, is that any custom app would run on the smartphone rather than on the glasses. He says he'll post details in the comments if it turns out to be possible.
The core features work without a subscription. A monthly fee on top of the hardware cost expands the choice of AI models. Ichiken didn't subscribe, and everything in the review used the free plan. He also read the terms of service on how recorded data is used. He considers them fairly standard for audio-capturing products like this and encourages curious viewers to read them.
Teardown: Frame and Hinges
The frame is entirely metal except for the plastic battery compartments. Judged purely as eyeglasses, Ichiken finds the build quality quite good. A silicone-based adhesive seals the joints for waterproofing, and the glasses are rated IP54 for dust and water resistance.
The hinge cover is plastic over a metal body. Underneath is a dense design with watertight barriers that stop water droplets from getting further in. Up close, he finds the port for a MEMS microphone, with a matching hole in the cover he had removed. Next to it is a translucent hole with a light sensor beneath it. Covering the sensor changes the AR display brightness, and shining light on it pushes brightness to maximum.
Taking the other hinge apart showed that the design relies mainly on flexible printed circuit boards. This hinge area holds MEMS microphones, connectors, and the micro-LED display unit with its driver. The side with the control knob also has a light sensor. Ichiken removed the micro-LED unit intact and projected its light directly. He found it quite bright and highly directional.
Batteries, Boards, and Antennas
The batteries sit in the ends of the temples, behind the ears, one on each side. Both are identical rectangular cells of 120 mAh each, 240 mAh in total. The temple section comes apart to reveal a thin titanium sheet, and a flexible board runs through the temple to the hinge.
Beneath each battery is more circuitry. On one side he found what looks like a MEMS microphone circuit. Each side also has one fairly large IC, one marked "GigaDevice." Ichiken speculates that these are the main control IC and communication ICs. The battery housing doubles as an antenna, with an antenna pattern inside and matching contact terminals on the board.
One detail concerned him. The flexible circuit board passing through the hinge bends very sharply and flexes every time the glasses are opened or closed. He thinks this is probably a harsh environment for a flexible board.
The Lens Structure
Each lens has two layers. The outer layer is a glass AR lens that takes light from the micro-LED and displays the image. Because it's glass, it cracks if handled roughly, and Ichiken shows one that did. Most eyeglass lenses today are plastic, so he warns that treating these the same way could break a lens. The inner lens is plastic. There is space for a lens insert, which he guesses is where prescription lenses go.
The Front Panel and the Microphone Array
The circuitry in the front panel includes the pogo-pin contacts for the charger and another MEMS microphone with its own port, which picks up sound from the front. When he forcibly peeled that board off, he found a bone-conduction component underneath.
In total, he counts four MEMS microphones: one on the front panel, one at each hinge, and one in the rear right battery section. There is also one bone-conduction microphone, for five microphones in all. The iO separates the other person's voice from the wearer's during conversation. Ichiken speculates that it may do this by switching between microphones and distinguishing bone-conducted from non-bone-conducted sound, rather than by heavy audio processing. He found no microphone on the rear left, so the glasses may pick up sound poorly from that direction.
Conclusion
Ichiken sums up the RayNeo iO as essentially an input/output device with a display. The glasses do no heavy processing themselves. For transcription and other demanding tasks, they send audio to the smartphone, which uses an external AI over the internet. In his view, this is why the battery lasts well, and why keeping only minimal features on the glasses makes them light enough to pass for ordinary eyewear. Having taken them apart, he says he now understands exactly how they are built.
Hello. Since I got these smart glasses today, here's a teardown review. This was released by RayNeo. These are the RayNeo iO smart glasses.
Most smart glasses tend to look pretty bulky, and they often have a look that makes them instantly recognizable, something like "that person is wearing smart glasses." That said, this one has a pretty clean look and style, and while it is a pair of smart glasses, it doesn't really look like a pair of smart glasses.
Today: why are smart glasses with a sleek design now a reality? We'll check it by taking it apart while actually using it.
First, let's look at the exterior. For smart glasses, the frame is on the thinner side. Here's how they compare to the glasses I usually wear. It seems there's a battery or something inside the part that hooks over the ear, and it's just that part that's big, though. Other than that, they're pretty much just like regular glasses.
The controls are operated using physical knobs rather than touch. With touch, the detection sometimes doesn't work properly, or sometimes things don't work the way you expect them to, so I really enjoy using the physical knobs. The physical knob is a rotary push-button. When you press it, you can feel the click, and it rotates smoothly without any click sensation. It's actually pretty good.
It's fine to control it directly from the glasses themselves, but there are also smart glasses of the type controlled by a ring, so since we're on the subject of iO anyway, I'd like them to release devices like that.
Then there's the camera that's often built into smart glasses, and it doesn't have a speaker either. Precisely because it doesn't have those, it can look this clean and uncluttered. I think that's what it means.
Now let's put it into practice. First, here's what it actually looks like: it looks like this. Actually, the display area isn't that large. If you look at the actual lens, you'll see that it covers this range.
The advantages include that the AR display doesn't get in the way. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that because the display area is small, the amount of information tends to be limited. I thought it would be nice if the display area could be made a little wider and this could be adjusted in the settings.
If you turn the knob like this, the display will change. The following actions can be performed using the buttons on the main unit: Voice Memos, Live Captions, Live Hints, Tasks, Teleprompter, Life Log, and Focus. Detailed adjustments to each feature are done using the app on your smartphone.
First, let's talk about the dashboard. For example, you'll see to-do lists, calendars, and things like emails. For the calendar, Google Calendar, and for email, Gmail synced successfully.
With Gmail, only the first part of the email is displayed, and since I can't view the content or reply from here, to be honest, there's no real benefit to using it right now.
I thought the integration with Google Calendar was actually quite useful. Since it's displayed using AR, you can check it right here, and you can also add events using voice commands. Here's what it looks like when you actually try it.
Hey RayNeo, please schedule a lunch meeting for tomorrow at 12:00. Please schedule a planning meeting starting at 1:00 p.m.
As you can see, the schedule has been added to the glasses. Furthermore, when I look at Google Calendar, it has been added correctly. By the way, it is set so that schedules added to the calendar cannot be deleted from the glasses themselves; it is designed with safety in mind.
Another issue that makes it difficult to use is that, for some reason, updates to the smart glasses for events deleted in Google Calendar take an incredibly long time. In my case, it didn't take effect until anywhere from a few tens of minutes to a few hours had passed. You need to be careful about that.
Next up is the voice memo. Since this is a feature found in all smart glasses, this is just a brief introduction. Basically, I take voice memos, and it can transcribe the content and summarize it. So it's all about summarizing and creating mind maps. By the way, you can edit this mind map, for example.
Next, although it's similar to voice memos, there is a feature called "Life Log." When a conversation starts or when some audio comes in, it starts recording automatically and takes notes on the content for you. Basically, it runs all day long, and it compiles summaries at 10 p.m.
If you actually take a look at the summary, this is what it looks like. It's basically something you watch as a way to reflect on your day. It was just one of those days when I didn't talk much, so this summary is actually pretty confusing. It seems it won't work well unless there's a little more information. Also, since I was watching videos and such along the way, it seems that information is also being used for the summary.
There's also a feature that lets you check your notifications, which allows you to display notifications received on your smartphone in AR. For example, a notification from a security camera will appear like this. I receive both SwitchBot notifications and LINE notifications. I thought it was actually a pretty good feature.
Next, I'll try out the live captioning feature as well. Basically, what the other person said will be displayed on this AR side. First, if you watch a Japanese video and display the Japanese subtitles, it looks something like this.
Hello. Today, we're going to compare high-end testers with budget testers. Here's one of them: Hioki Electric's top-of-the-line digital multimeter, the DT4282. You can generally purchase it for between 50,000 and 60,000 yen. And here's another one: this is a digital multimeter purchased on Amazon.
Next, I'll watch an English video. Here's what it looks like when displayed in English.
It also has a translation feature. Here's what the Japanese video looks like when translated into English.
We'll take a closer look at the differences between high-end testers and budget testers. Here's one of them: Hioki Electric's top-of-the-line digital multimeter, the DT4282. You can usually buy one for between 50,000 and 60,000 yen. And here's another one: this is a digital multimeter purchased on Amazon.
Here's what it looks like when you translate an English video into Japanese.
As for translation speed, it's not a problem if you speak slowly, but as the speed of speech increases, the translations start to fall behind. That's because the translation isn't actually being done on these smart glasses; rather, the data is sent to the smartphone once via Bluetooth, translated there, and the translation results are displayed on the screen.
There is a slight sense that the translation feels a bit clunky. But they do translate everything properly, so that aspect is handled thoroughly.
It also has a teleprompter feature. Actually, while filming this video, I'm also feeding the script into the teleprompter. Did you all notice? Unlike my usual videos, my gaze wanders a bit, so maybe you could tell. If you read it aloud like this, it scrolls automatically, which I also like. In Ichiken's case, I write a script even for videos shot on location, so the teleprompter feature looks like it will come in very handy.
From here on, let's take a look at the fit and how it actually performs. First, regarding prescription lenses: there will be an additional charge, but this is the type where you enter your prescription at the time of purchase. Rather than an aftermarket lens, the lens itself is made as a prescription lens. In Ichiken's case, since I couldn't choose the lens in time for shooting the video, I'm using contact lenses.
The glasses weigh 33.6 grams. When you attach the silicone covers for the ear hooks, they weigh 37.2g. They're lightweight for smart glasses, and I hardly notice the weight at all. Regarding the silicone covers for the earpieces, I'm thinking maybe I don't need to add them.
Other than that, I hardly notice any tightness at all, and you can keep them on for a long time. Even if you look down like this, they won't fall, because they're light.
Regarding adjustments to the frame tension: I'm not sure if it's okay to do this, but since the temples of the glasses are made of metal, you can adjust them by bending them slightly. Since this is probably not a method recommended by RayNeo officially, it seems best not to imitate it. Since this is a review, I thought I should do what others don't do, so I'm including it.
Also, regarding whether the frame narrows your field of vision: since the distance from the eye to the lens is short, it doesn't bother me at all by getting in my line of sight, and it doesn't narrow your field of vision either. They're pretty much the same as regular glasses.
Next, let's talk about battery life. To be honest, the battery life is actually pretty good. It usually lasts a whole day. The reason for this is that, since the RayNeo iO is essentially a device for input and output, the fact that the device isn't performing any heavy processing makes a big difference.
By the way, as for how fast it charges: with a 10-minute charge, it charged from 9% to 41%. If you add another 10 minutes for a total charging time of 20 minutes, it's charged from 9% to 67%. Even if the battery happens to run out, it actually works while charging like this. Aside from the fact that it looks a little odd, it's within acceptable limits. Although it is sold separately, a charging case for the glasses is also available.
Also, regarding connecting to a smartphone and connecting to the internet: basically, since these smart glasses handle audio input and display output, first of all, you can't use them unless they're connected to a smartphone. Also, an internet connection on your smartphone is pretty much a must.
Voice memos and the teleprompter work even without an internet connection. However, for tasks that require transcription or translation, an internet connection is required, perhaps because the transcription isn't done on the glasses or the smartphone.
That said, overall, they've become smart glasses at a level that allows for normal, everyday use. It seems you don't need to use them in a way where you wear smart glasses only when you need them.
We'll also take a look at whether you can install your own apps. With other smart glasses, since they run on Android OS, you can often install apps you've created yourself and run them there. As for the operating system of the RayNeo iO, when I checked the manual, it said "RTOS." Also, when I checked the app, it's called StrixOS.
At the time this video was created, information regarding the SDK and other details had not yet been released, and I'm not sure if I can build my own app. Based on my experience using it, I expect it'll basically be like building an app that runs on a smartphone. If it turns out you're able to create your own apps, I'll add more details in the comments section and elsewhere.
Next, let's talk about the monthly subscription fee. While the basic features of the RayNeo iO can be used even without a subscription, by paying a monthly subscription fee in addition to the cost of the glasses themselves, you can expand your options for AI models. This time, I decided not to sign up for a subscription, and I'm reviewing everything using the free plan. The features we've covered so far can be used for just the cost of the glasses themselves, even without a subscription.
As for the use of recorded data and the like, I checked the Terms of Service. For products like these smart glasses that involve sound, I think this is a fairly standard way to use the data. If you're curious about how the data is used, I would appreciate it if you could check it and review it yourself.
Now we'll start taking it apart. This is the main part. As for the components of the main unit, the frame is made entirely of metal. Only the battery compartment is made of plastic. Looking at this as a pair of glasses, the overall quality is quite good.
At the joints between these components, a silicone-based adhesive is used. It's to make it waterproof. For the record, these smart glasses themselves have IP54-rated dust and water resistance.
Next, I'll remove the cover from this hinge area. This cover was also made of plastic. The main body is made of metal. The hinge section is constructed like this. It's a fairly high-density design. There are also watertight bulkheads and other features in this area, and it's designed so that water droplets can't get any further inside than this.
If you take a really close look at this part, you can see the MEMS microphone. This part here is the hole for the MEMS microphone. There's also a hole in this part of the cover I just removed. This is also a hole for the microphone.
There is also a translucent hole near the bottom of the microphone. This is the part. Can you see it? So, what is the purpose of this semi-transparent hole? There's actually a light sensor located beneath the microphone opening.
If you cover the hole for the light sensor like this, you can adjust the brightness of the AR display, and if you brighten this area, something like this, the display brightness will be set to the maximum.
This is the hinge on the opposite side, and I took it apart some more. It appears that they primarily use flexible printed circuit boards. This section contains MEMS microphones, connectors, micro-LEDs and their drivers, etc. The side with the control buttons also comes with a light sensor.
I was able to take it apart while keeping this micro-LED unit in its current position. If you directly project the light from the micro-LED, it will look like this. I think that's it. This is pretty bright, isn't it? It also seems to have quite strong directivity, as shown here.
As for how power is supplied to these units: you know that part at the tip of the temple that sits right behind the ear? The battery is located in this section. The other side also has a battery installed in the same way. Both batteries are the same type, and each cell has a capacity of 120 mAh, for a total of 240 mAh.
This part of the temple can actually be taken apart, and a thin sheet of titanium is attached to it. Inside the temple, a flexible circuit board runs the wiring all the way to the hinge. Flexible circuit boards are used in applications like these.
I'll try removing this battery, too. As you can see, it's a rectangular battery. There are even more circuits on the back of it. Is this a microphone circuit? A MEMS microphone is installed.
If you take a look at the other side in the same way, there's a battery, and there's some other circuit underneath it. These are relatively large ICs. As you can see, there is one fairly large IC component on this side, and there was another one on the opposite side as well. It says "GigaDevice." I imagine an IC for controlling the entire smart glasses system and the communication ICs are mounted here.
By the way, this battery case also serves as an antenna. There is an antenna pattern inside. On this circuit board as well, terminals for connecting to the antenna are mounted.
Also, something caught my attention while I was taking it apart. There's a flexible circuit board running through this part, but the curvature is really sharp, isn't it? When opening and closing the hinge like this, it undergoes strenuous movement every time. I think it's probably a pretty harsh environment for flexible circuit boards.
Let's take a look at the lens section as well. Actually, the lens has a two-layer structure: an inner lens and an outer lens. It's easier to understand with a screenshot, but it looks something like this. The outer lens receives light from the micro-LEDs and displays AR.
Since the AR lenses are made of glass, if you handle them roughly, they will crack like this. Since most eyeglasses these days have plastic lenses, if you use these with the same mindset, I think it's possible to break a lens.
The inner lens is made of plastic. If you look closely, since there is a space provided for inserting a lens, if you order a pair with prescription lenses, is this where the lens goes?
Let's also take a look at the circuitry in this section on the front panel. That's exactly where the charger's pogo pins make contact. There's a MEMS microphone here, too. This is the one that picks up sound from the front, right? There is a hole in this part, just to be clear.
Remove this circuit board and there are even more parts below that. When you forcefully peel off the circuit board, it has strayed from the implementation pattern. So, about this—when I take it out, this is a bone-conduction device.
As shown here, the MEMS microphone is located on the front panel, the hinge areas on the left and right, and the battery compartment at the rear right: a total of four microphone arrays. And there is one bone-conduction microphone located near the tailbone. I'm using these five microphones.
RayNeo iO, while having a conversation, listens to the other person's voice and my own voice separately. Rather than performing heavy audio processing, it may be switching between microphones and distinguishing between bone conduction and non-bone conduction.
By the way, on the back left side, since I couldn't find the microphone, it may not pick up sound well from the rear left.
So, while using the RayNeo iO smart glasses, I did a teardown review. Essentially, it is classified as an input/output device with a display. The glasses themselves don't perform any particularly heavy-duty processing, and these are energy-efficient smart glasses.
For transcribing or performing other resource-intensive tasks, the audio data is sent to the smartphone, from there it connects to the Internet, and then this process involves using an external AI.
Partly because of this, the battery life is good, and since the glasses themselves have only the bare minimum of features, the main unit is also lightweight. I took it apart and now I understand exactly how it's made.
If anyone is interested in this RayNeo iO, please check it out by clicking the link in the description.
So, if you found this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to leave a comment! Thank you for watching until the end.
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