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Vuzix Blade Upgraded

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Vuzix Blade Upgraded
Basic Info
VR/AR Augmented Reality
Type Head-mounted display
Subtype AR Glasses
Developer Vuzix
Manufacturer Vuzix
Release Date 29 September 2020 (shipping began)[1]
Price US$899.99 (Vuzix store, October 2020); US$799.99 (Vuzix store, May 2021)[2][3]
Predecessor Vuzix Blade
Successor Vuzix Blade 2
System
Operating System Modified Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
CPU Quad-core ARM
Storage
Storage 8 GB internal flash; microSD slot
Memory 1 GB
Display
Display Full-color DLP (Cobra II display engine)
Resolution 480x853 (right eye only)
Image
Field of View 19° diagonal
Optics
Optics Waveguide see-through optics
Ocularity Monocular (right eye)
Audio
Audio Stereo speakers in the temples
Microphone Dual noise-cancelling microphones
Camera 8 MP autofocus; 1080p at 24 fps or 720p at 30 fps video
Connectivity
Ports Micro USB; microSD
WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth Yes (Bluetooth and BLE)
Power Internal LiPo rechargeable batteries
Device
Sensors Gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, inner and outer proximity sensors, ambient light sensor
Input Two-axis touchpad, voice control, companion app


Vuzix Blade Upgraded is an augmented reality head-mounted display released in 2020. It is a pair of smart glasses made by Vuzix and an updated version of the original Vuzix Blade, with built-in stereo speakers, an autofocus camera and safety certification as standard.[1] Like the original Blade, it shows a full-color image to the right eye only through see-through waveguide optics and runs a modified version of Android.[4][5]

Vuzix announced regulatory approvals for the device in the United States, Canada, the European Union and Japan on 29 September 2020 and began shipping early orders the same day.[1] In its annual report for 2021, the company referred to the product as "Blade 1.5", an upgraded replacement for the original Blade.[6] Vuzix promoted it for enterprise uses such as remote work, video conferencing and barcode scanning.[1] It was replaced by the Vuzix Blade 2, introduced in September 2022.[7]

Reviewed 27 September 2026. Re-read the Vuzix press releases, seven SEC filings, archived Vuzix store pages, product sheet, Vuzix support pages and the VR Expert review against the release history, prices, specifications, software and successor claims. About review dates.

Announcement and release

Vuzix first showed the original Blade as a monocular system at CES 2018.[8] In its quarterly report for the period ending 30 June 2020, Vuzix said that supply-chain delays linked to the COVID-19 pandemic had pushed back the expected launch of the upgraded Blade, along with the M4000, by several months.[9] The company cut the selling price of the original Blade at the start of July 2020 in anticipation of the new model.[10]

On 29 September 2020, Vuzix announced that the Blade Upgraded had received regulatory approvals from agencies in the US and Canada, the EU and Japan. It began shipping early orders at the same time, sold the glasses directly and said they would shortly be available from Amazon's online stores in the US, Canada and Japan. The release said the glasses were certified to ship into 40 countries.[1] Paul Travers, the company's president and chief executive, said the built-in stereo audio "effectively removes the need for Bluetooth or analog ear buds".[1][11] According to its 2020 annual report, the Blade Upgraded entered mass production in the second half of 2020.[8] Later filings state that Vuzix introduced the model at the end of the third quarter of 2020 and discontinued the previous Blade model in the fall of 2020.[12]

Vuzix's online store listed the Blade Upgraded at US$899.99 in October 2020 and at US$799.99 in May 2021; the product page stated that all units came with ANSI Z87.1 certification at no additional charge.[2][3] The company reported that Blade revenue for the second quarter of 2021 rose 77 percent year over year, driven by a 108 percent increase in unit sales and partly offset by slightly lower selling prices for the Blade Upgraded than for the previous model.[12] In the third quarter of 2021, Blade revenue fell 33 percent, which Vuzix attributed partly to shortages of components needed to make Blade projector engines.[13]

Design and hardware

Vuzix describes the Blade Upgraded as self-contained augmented reality smart glasses with internal batteries.[3] The company states that it has the same features as the regular Blade plus an 8-megapixel autofocus camera, built-in stereo speakers and "advanced Vuzix voice control".[3][14]

Display and optics

The display is a right-eye monocular image produced by a Cobra II DLP-based display engine and relayed through waveguide see-through optics.[3] Vuzix's support documentation states that the display is configured as a 480 x 480 pixel square that occupies 19 degrees of the right eye's field of view, and that this square can be positioned anywhere within the 28-degree vertical area of the waveguide.[15] All lenses have UV protection, and optional prescription inserts were sold for most vision corrections.[14]

Safety certification

The Upgraded model came standard as certified safety glasses, rated as personal protective equipment under the ANSI Z87.1 standard in the United States and the CE EN166/170 standard in the European Union.[1]

Camera and audio

The camera has 8 megapixels with autofocus and records video at 720p and 30 frames per second or 1080p and 24 frames per second.[3] Vuzix lists still photo resolutions of 7.6 MP (3264 x 2448) and 4.8 MP (2593 x 1944).[16] The company presented the autofocus camera as suited to video conferencing and barcode scanning.[1] Stereo speakers are built into the temples, and the glasses have dual noise-cancelling microphones.[1][4]

Computing and connectivity

Vuzix's developer documentation lists a quad-core ARM CPU, 1 GB of system RAM, 8 GB of internal flash storage and support for external SD cards.[4] Sensors include a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer for orientation, inner and outer proximity sensors and an outward-facing ambient light sensor.[4] The glasses connect over 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi in the 2.4 GHz band and Bluetooth, and have a Micro USB port used for development and media transfer.[14][17][18] The Blade has no GPS receiver of its own; applications take location data from a linked companion phone.[19] Power comes from internal LiPo rechargeable batteries, and the Blade does not support quick charging.[14][20] Vuzix sold an optional US$99.99 Collar Power Bank, a 2850 mAh battery worn around the neck, which the company said gave 10 hours of run time under normal operation.[3]

Software and features

The Blade runs a modified version of Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), and applications can be written with the standard Android APIs in Java, Kotlin or C/C++.[5] It is not a Compatibility Test Suite compliant device, so it does not support the Google Play Store or other Google Mobile Services, and Vuzix warns that third-party Android apps not designed for the Blade may not work as expected.[21][22]

Input comes from a two-axis touchpad on the right temple and from voice. The touchpad supports one- and two-finger taps, swipes and holds, and since Blade OS version 2.13 it can also act as a virtual mouse.[23] Built-in speech recognition starts with the phrase "Hello Vuzix" and covers navigation, camera, notification and volume commands; it runs entirely offline.[24][25] The May 2021 product page listed English and Japanese as supported languages.[3]

At launch, Vuzix said the Blade Upgraded supported the Zoom, Webex Teams and Skype for Business video collaboration platforms. The company also updated its iOS and Android Companion App, added support for its Vuzix Barcode SDK and for third-party barcode zoom camera solutions, and added speech commands for the launcher, photos, settings, camera and notifications.[1] Vuzix's 2022 annual report says the company had developed "connector" applications that let its smart glasses work with third-party services such as Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Microsoft Teams and BlueJeans, some free and some for an annual fee.[7] A PC and Mac tool, Vuzix View, can control the Blade remotely over USB.[26]

Specifications

Component Specification
Display Full-color DLP (Cobra II engine), right eye only[3]
Resolution 480x853 panel (per a VR Expert review)[27]; configured as a 480 x 480 square in software[15]
Field of view 19° diagonal
Optics Waveguide see-through optics[3]
Processor Quad-core ARM CPU[4]
Memory and storage 1 GB RAM; 8 GB internal flash; microSD slot[4]
Camera 8 MP autofocus; 720p at 30 fps or 1080p at 24 fps[3]
Audio Stereo speakers in the temples; noise-cancelling microphones[1][4]
Connectivity 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); Bluetooth; Micro USB[17][14]
Operating system Modified Android 5.1.1[5]
Safety rating ANSI Z87.1; CE EN166/170[1]
Price US$899.99 (October 2020); US$799.99 (May 2021)[2][3]

Reception

VR Expert, a European reseller of VR and AR hardware, published a German-language review of the Blade Upgraded. It reported that the 470 mAh internal battery gave between four and six hours of use, compared with nine to ten hours from the 3250 mAh battery of the RealWear HMT-1, and wrote that the RealWear could last a full working day while the Blade Upgraded had to be recharged during it. The review concluded that the glasses improved on the original Blade but still trailed RealWear in durability and camera capability for industrial work.[27]

Successor

Vuzix announced the Vuzix Blade 2 on 24 August 2022 and called it its third-generation Blade model, at a list price of US$1,299.99.[28] The company's 2022 annual report describes the Blade 2, introduced in September 2022, as "an upgraded replacement version" with improved CPU performance and Android 11.[7] As of September 2026, Vuzix's support site still hosts user and developer documentation for the Blade and Blade Upgraded.[29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Vuzix Receives International Regulatory Approvals and Begins Shipping Vuzix Blade Upgraded Smart Glasses". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2020-09-29. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-receives-international-regulatory-approvals-and-begins-shipping-vuzix-blade-upgraded-smart-glasses-301139977.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Vuzix Blade Upgraded Smart Glasses (archived 14 October 2020)". Vuzix. Vuzix Corporation. https://web.archive.org/web/20201014050329/https://www.vuzix.com/products/blade-smart-glasses-upgraded. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 "Vuzix Blade Upgraded Smart Glasses (archived 10 May 2021)". Vuzix. Vuzix Corporation. https://web.archive.org/web/20210510074853/https://www.vuzix.com/products/blade-smart-glasses-upgraded. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Overview". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-05-24. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/overview-29. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Technical Details". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-05-24. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/technical-details-1. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  6. ↑ "Vuzix Corporation Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Vuzix Corporation. 2022-03-02. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837022002641/vuzi-20211231x10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Vuzix Corporation Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Vuzix Corporation. 2023-03-01. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837023002560/vuzi-20221231x10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Vuzix Corporation Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Vuzix Corporation. 2021-03-15. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837021003001/vuzi-20201231x10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  9. ↑ "Vuzix Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Vuzix Corporation. 2020-08-10. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837020010180/vuzi-20200630x10q.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  10. ↑ "Vuzix Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Vuzix Corporation. 2020-11-09. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837020013340/vuzi-20200930x10q.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  11. ↑ Andrew Kessel (2020-09-30). "Vuzix's upgraded Blade Smart Glasses get multiple international regulatory nods". Proactive Investors. https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/930273/vuzix-s-upgraded-blade-smart-glasses-get-multiple-international-regulatory-nods-930273.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Vuzix Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2021". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Vuzix Corporation. 2021-08-09. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837021010958/vuzi-20210630x10q.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  13. ↑ "Vuzix Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2021". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). Vuzix Corporation. 2021-11-08. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837021015017/vuzi-20210930x10q.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 "Vuzix Blade Upgraded Smart Glasses product sheet". Vuzix. Vuzix Corporation. https://vuzix-website.s3.amazonaws.com/files/Content/pdfs/Vuzix-Blade-Upgraded-Smart-Glasses-d08.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "How large is the Vuzix Blade display?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-01-23. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/how-large-is-the-vuzix-blade-display. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  16. ↑ "What are the supported resolutions on Vuzix Blade?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-02-07. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/what-are-the-supported-resolutions-on-vuzix-blade. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "What wi-fi bands does Blade support?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-02-07. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/what-wi-fi-bands-does-blade-support. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  18. ↑ "What connectivity feature does Blade provide?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-02-07. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/what-connectivity-feature-does-blade-provide. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  19. ↑ "How can I add GPS service to my application?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/how-can-i-add-gps-service-to-my-application. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  20. ↑ "Does Vuzix Blade support quick charge?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/does-vuzix-blade-support-quick-charge. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  21. ↑ "Does Blade support the Google Play Store?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/does-blade-support-the-google-play-store. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  22. ↑ "Can I run third party applications on Vuzix Blade?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/can-i-run-third-party-applications-on-vuzix-blade. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  23. ↑ "Interaction Methods". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-05-24. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/interaction-methods-3. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  24. ↑ "Can I use voice commands to control the Blade?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. 2024-02-07. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/can-i-use-voice-commands-to-control-the-blade. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  25. ↑ "Does speech recognition require an internet connection?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/does-speech-recognition-require-an-internet-connection-1. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  26. ↑ "Can I use the Vuzix Smart Glasses Manager Application with my Blade?". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/can-i-use-the-vuzix-smart-glasses-manager-application-with-my-blade. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Vuzix Blade Upgraded Review". VR Expert. https://vr-expert.de/news/vuzix-blade-upgraded-review/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  28. ↑ "Vuzix Announces Vuzix Blade 2 Smart Glasses: High Performance AR Eyewear in a Stylish Form Factor for the Deskless Workforce". Vuzix Investor Relations. Vuzix Corporation. 2022-08-24. https://ir.vuzix.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1985/vuzix-announces-vuzix-blade-2-smart-glasses-high. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  29. ↑ "Blade & Blade Upgraded". Vuzix Support. Vuzix Corporation. https://support.vuzix.com/docs/blade-blade-upgraded. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
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