Could you buy a laptop without a screen? Not to mention one priced at $1,900? Well, Sightful, a startup company focused on Augmented Reality Technology, is here to break the mold with Spacetop G1. It’s a laptop that substitutes the conventional physical laptop monitor with tethered AR glasses that give a virtual 100-inch display.
What sets the Spacetop G1 apart is its use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology. Unlike bulky VR headsets, AR acts like a transparent visor that overlays digital information – images, sounds, and even sensory inputs – directly onto your environment in real time. Imagine it as a personal, interactive heads-up display (HUD) that doesn’t block your view of the real world – more like an advanced, customizable projector than a hologram.
The key feature of the Spacetop G1 lies in its AR-based screen. This is achieved through a pair of tethered AR glasses featuring two high-resolution OLED display panels, each boasting 1920×1080 pixels and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. This combination creates a significantly larger and more customizable virtual workspace compared to traditional laptop screens.
The Spacetop G1 runs SpaceOS, an operating system designed by Sightful specifically for web applications, similar to ChromeOS but without Android app support. It boasts a 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM for smooth multitasking and 128GB of storage. The Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS8550 chipset and Adreno 750 GPU provide enough power for everyday tasks. This, coupled with the 60Wh battery (promising up to 8 hours of use), makes the Spacetop G1 ideal for office work using web tools like Microsoft 365 or even basic web design. While well-suited for lighter tasks, it might struggle with demanding applications like video editing. For connectivity, you get two USB-C ports, Bluetooth 5.3, the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard for super-fast wireless speeds, and support for both Nano-SIM and eSIM cards, ensuring you’re always connected on the go.
Despite the hefty price tag, the Spacetop G1 seems well-equipped to handle the daily business needs of mobile professionals. Its portability, combined with the expansive virtual workspace offered by the AR glasses, could be a game-changer for those who value a lightweight and flexible work setup.
While the G1 offers a futuristic approach to the future of tech, one has to wonder if the market is ready for such a product. Similar AR devices like the Apple Vision Pro haven’t lived up to the initial hype. Additionally, for the same price, you could get a more powerful traditional laptop. There are also sleeker AR options like smart glasses that offer greater portability compared to the G1, which remains a standard-sized laptop… just without the screen.
The current price for this AR laptop is 1,900 US dollars. Shipping will begin in October with an option to reserve the machine by paying a refundable $100 deposit.
The Spacetop G1 is a pioneer in AR laptops, but market adoption remains to be seen.
