ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Solos AirGo A5 can be found now, beginning at $249.
- They do not have cameras, as an alternative choosing a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant and audio system.
- Audio high quality leaves one thing to be desired.
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Good glasses have exploded in recognition over the previous two years, due to their skill to include cameras, AI assistants, and audio system right into a sensible kind issue. Nevertheless, the Solos AirGo A5 takes a unique strategy, shedding the cameras for a extra discreet design.
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First accessible in October of 2025, Solos is positioning the AirGo A5 as light-weight, comfy good glasses with hands-free AI help and a long-lasting battery. Consequently, the target market differs from that of the favored Meta Ray-Ban glasses, that are geared extra in direction of content material creation, as these are extra meant for the AI fanatic.
But, they’re nonetheless an funding, with the most affordable frames costing $249, so I put them to the check to find out if they’re well worth the value.
All-day battery, with a price
The most important spotlight of those glasses is the long-lasting battery. On the web site, they’re marketed with 10 hours of music streaming or seven hours of telephone name time. Whereas that may grant you all-day battery, it’s value highlighting that it is unlikely you would be listening to music or on the telephone for that lengthy.
In my expertise, even when utilizing them for music and conferences, they lasted me on common two days on a single cost, solely dropping about 30% in 24 hours. This aligns with the corporate’s declare that they final about two days on standby related to a smartphone.
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By way of audio high quality, you may’t anticipate too a lot, as they’re open-ear headphones and do not provide any kind of noise cancellation. But when your aim is to not have to fret about carrying headphones or earbuds and you do not require excellent audio high quality, they are going to just do wonderful.
In the event you flip the amount all the best way up, the tinniness is extra noticeable, and audio leakage extra obvious. By way of microphone high quality, I despatched a few audio messages with the glasses on, along with taking calls, and I used to be nonetheless audible. Nevertheless, the standard of stated audio left a lot to be desired — a notable compromise, because the Meta Ray-Bans have fairly excellent mic high quality.
In my view, the perfect use case is for workplace staff who wish to keep conscious of their environment and hearken to audio with out worrying about another wearable or the value of the Meta pair. Extra on that in a second.
Mild and cozy
As a result of the good glasses wouldn’t have a digicam, they’re much lighter than the most well-liked ones, reminiscent of Meta Ray-Bans. This impacts their form, as effectively — my colleagues within the workplace could not inform they had been good glasses in any respect, till I discussed it.
One other design spotlight is the adjustable finish suggestions. After I first put them on, I used to be delay by how lengthy and straight the top suggestions had been, as proven within the image above. Nevertheless, as soon as I spotted I might bend them, I hinged them to imitate the match of my common glasses, and I used to be impressed with how a lot that helped safe the match.
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A neat characteristic in regards to the glasses’ legs is which you can take away them from the principle body to swap them for various types, together with ones that Solos makes with cameras. This enables for extra versatility on the go, as you may skip bringing two pairs of glasses and simply convey the frames. The Solos AirGo A5 additionally is available in completely different colours and types, together with a titanium pair that retails at $349.
One criticism I had was the positioning of the LED gentle, which alerts you to incoming calls, SolosChat activation, and notifications. It’s too seen to each me and anybody speaking to me. I used to be on a video name when the individual I used to be speaking to gave me a puzzled look as the sunshine began flashing, solely to match my very own confusion.
You may change the LED’s place from the Proper Temple to the SmartHinge, however I might prefer to shut it off altogether.
Let’s discuss AI
I hardly ever discovered myself utilizing the Solos AI assistant, which is powered by ChatGPT’s voice search and assistant capabilities. That is much less because of the high quality of the assistant and extra as a result of, as with all AI-powered good glasses, I do not usually have the necessity for fast queries, reminiscent of checking the climate, fixing basic math issues, or discovering new dinner concepts.
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I additionally had a problem with the Solo Chat wake-up name activating the assistant, particularly in noisy environments, the place I needed to say the phrase repeatedly for it to work. Whereas I feel there may be promise right here, particularly with the addition of ChatGPT, I would not say that these glasses are value buying solely for that.
The SolosCoach, nonetheless, is a enjoyable software of AI, as it may well right your posture, remind you to stretch, monitor steps, present fast health classes, and extra. I might prefer to see extra good glasses combine these experiences, though most smartphones can achieve this to a point, as effectively.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
In case you are on the lookout for good glasses and your high priorities are consolation and a marathon battery life, then the Solos AirGo A5 will not disappoint. The $249 value level is kind of affordable for what they provide, contemplating the Amazon Echo Frames, which additionally provide solely audio options, retail for $269.
Nevertheless, if you’d like excellent AI and audio with no digicam, I’d spring for the Even Realities G2, that are gentle, comfy, and extremely succesful. If a digicam can also be one thing you are occupied with, there is no beating the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2, which I am going to seemingly choose again up once more after testing the Solos.
