Oppo has unveiled a prototype set of augmented reality glasses with a voice assistant at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Making the device different is how it can be used to interact with Oppo's AI assistant.

The prototype is compatible with Oppo phones running the company's ColorOS 13 operating system and later but the company didn't mention pricing or a potential release date. Being AR glasses, users can see digital content imposed over a real-world view and this can include information such as a message or perhaps a map for navigation.

The glasses can access a voice assistant based on Oppo's self-trained generative AI model AndesGPT, the company's answer to ChatGPT. But the eyewear needs to be connected to an app to work, perhaps because the processing power is too demanding.

Since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT, generative AI has been the buzzword. Besides Oppo, TCL and Meta believe smart glasses are the next place users will want to engage with AI-powered helpers. Mixed reality is also something Apple is going big on with its Vision Pro headset. Chinese AR firm Xreal (backed by Alibaba) has also been investing in augmented reality for several years.

Market research firm IDC had forecast just 500,000 shipments of AR headsets in 2023, but thinks it could rise to 6.8 million in 2027.