Vuzix Shield: Release Date, Key Features and Cost: Everything you need to know

Vuzix is positioning itself as one of the leaders in enterprise AR smart glasses and the Vuzix Shield is the latest product in their impressive smart glasses lineup. Below you will discover everything from the expected release date to the price point/cost, specifications and what features to expect.

In this article, we will go through:

• Vuzix Shield release date
• Vuzix Shield cost and price
• Vuzix Shield’s key features
• Conclusion

Vuzix Shield release date

Announced November 11 2021, the Vuzix Shield still does not have an official release date. For now, Vuzix’s website states that we can expect these new augmented reality glasses in the latter half of 2022. However, select Vuzix partners have already gotten their hands on a pair.

Vuzix Shield cost and price

As of now, there is no official price point for Vuzix Shield. However, initial interviews (see the illuminating conversation with Vuzix’s CEO, Paul Travers, embedded below) tell that it will be more than the Vuzix Blade as the Shield is made of more expensive components. Given this, we should expect a price of around $1,999. 

Vuzix Shield’s key features

Eye-protection certification

Like the other Vuzix smart glasses, the Shield will be able to be used as safety glasses. Vuzix Shield will come with eye- and face-protection certifications such as ANSI Z87.1, protecting against hard impacts, radiation, splashes, dust, and small particles.

Noise-cancelation

Like previous Vuzix AR glasses like the Vuzix M400 and M4000, the Shield will feature a multi-microphone array which means that the glasses hav built-in noise cancelation. Enabling work to occur in loud environments and still have a conversation from the embedded speakers on the frame of the Shield.

Improved visual clarity

The combination of microLED and the RGB stripe technology means that the perceived visual fidelity will be sharp. The reason is that when an OLED or microLED display uses an RGB stripe subpixel arrangement, as opposed to a PenTile subpixel arrangement, the perceived visual quality is greater. 

The Shield will feature a 92% RGB accuracy with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, meaning that the wearer cannot see the display area within the AR headset. Even if the wearer can see the screen borders, the field of view will be the widest in all of Vuzix’s other smart glasses, with a 30-degree diagonal.

Conclusion

The Vuzix Shield is looking to be an impressive and useful piece of enterprise technology. It will come with several features that make them perfect for use in various settings, from healthcare to industrial. All we can do now is wait for its release in the second half of this year and expect a price of around $2,000.