What you need to know
- Razer is launching a new wearable, the Anzu Smart Glasses.
- Anzu Smart Glasses combine blue light filtering lenses and come with additional polarizing lenses, as well as open-ear audio.
- Anzu is launching on March 4 at Razer Stores and online and costs $199.99.
Razer, the brand known for gaming peripherals and gaming laptops that has recently expanded into lifestyle products, is launching the Anzu Smart Glasses today at Razer Store Live. This will be the company's first eyewear product, and it's designed to combine valuable protection of blue light filtering, polarized lenses, and has open-ear audio.
The Anzu Smart Glasses come with two sets of lenses by default. One pair is 35% blue light filtering, while the other is 99% UVA/UVB protective polarized sunglass lenses — this means the Anzu Smart Glasses will be perfect whether you're working at home or on-the-go. To top it all off, there are 16mm speaker drivers in the frame, allowing for open-ear audio with 60ms latency through Bluetooth 5.1. So as you protect your eyes, you also get an immersive audio experience. Anzu is also compatible with popular voice assistants and have touch controls for audio playback.
Razer designed two frame styles for the Anzu Smart Glasses — rectangular or round, and both come in Small/Medium or Large sizes. There is subtle Razer branding the durable and flexible frame hinges, which allow for easy storage in the accompanying case, along with a cleaning cloth. Anzu will last over five hours on a single charge, and it has a built-in smart feature that will automatically turn off the speakers when the frames are closed; to turn them back on, just open the frames and it'll connect to the last device you used them with. Both temples of the smart glasses independently connect via Bluetooth. Razer says that the Anzu has about 14 hours of standby, and it charges up via a magnetized cable that plugs into a standard USB port.
"The Razer Anzu modernizes the wearable category in terms of convenience and blue light or UV protection," said John Moore, Head of Sales and Marketing at Razer. "With Anzu, Razer is entering the market at a time when there is a surge of people working from home — where eye protection, hands-free communication, and smart features are now in high demand."
Over the past year, more people than ever before are working from home. This means countless hours in front of mobile devices, laptops, and computer displays for work and personal use, which means a lot of blue light. The default blue light filtering lenses provide 35% filtering protection, which helps with screen glare and reduces digital eye strain. The replacement polarized lenses are for those times you decide to go outside, and these provide 99% protection from harmful UVA/UVB rays. Razer Anzu Smart Glasses also have an IPX4 rating, so they're splash-proof and great for working out in or even wearing while you're out in the rain or snow.
Those of you who require prescription lenses, you're not out of luck. Razer is working with Lensabl, who will be extending a 15% discount on prescription lenses for corrective eyewear customers who purchase Razer Anzu.
On the audio side, the Anzu uses a Bluetooth 5.1 connection to pair with all of your devices. It has 60ms latency, so you should be getting smooth and stutter-free sound for an immersive audio experience on calls, listening to music, or even gaming. The discreet, omnidirectional microphone and speakers that are built into the Anzu frame give users convenient hands-free communication anywhere. And what makes these truly Smart Glasses are the touch controls on the side of the frame. You can change music tracks, play or pause audio, manage conference calls, and even activate your smartphone's voice assistant with just a touch. The experience can be enhanced with the companion iOS and Android apps that adjust EQ and latency settings, check battery status, and get firmware updates.
This is not Razer's first foray into more general lifestyle-focused products, moving away from the usual hardcore gamer peripheral lineup. They have launched several Bluetooth headsets in the past, including the Razer Opus, Hammerhead True Wireless Pro, and the adorable Kraken BT Kitty Edition headphones. This is, however, the brand's first launch of wearable smart glasses.
Razer Anzu Smart Glasses will launch March 4, 2021 exclusively from physical and online Razer Stores. Anzu costs $199.99 and the replacement sunglass lenses are available for $29.99.
Smart eye care
Anzu Smart Glasses are the latest wearable from Razer, combining blue light and polarizing lenses with open-ear audio.
