The problem with the term “space computer” is that most devices using the dumb marketing term don’t actually look like computers. Yes, on Apple Vision Pro or Meta mission 3 meet the definition of a “computer,” but most people still think of a “computer” as a desktop computer or a laptop. So now there’s the Spacetop G1, an AR laptop that’s trying to kick out both the desktop and VR markets for being too stuck in their ways.
The $1,900 Spacetop G1 is a pair of AR glasses combined with a laptop case and a magnetic lid with a large bulge to hold everything. That would be the reductive description, but in many ways it is accurate. The G1 is made by Sightful, which has released a beta versionSpacetop EA” last year before returning with a modified, more ergonomic first product ready for prime time. The company boasts several exMagic Jump developers who have been working for the past few years to create this Frankensteinian contraption. The glasses are made by people in XRealspecifically the Xreal Air 2 Pro, although they have several modifications designed to specifically handle a desktop-like interface.
I was invited to test drive an early version of the G1 for about an hour while talking to Sightful executives about what the heck this thing was and where they felt their technology fit into the still nascent AR market. When you wear the glasses, you’ll see a rather spartan user interface with a black background that floats a few feet in front of you and surrounds you from ear to ear. You can load different windows and place them wherever you want on this wide desktop, similar to Apple’s Spatial Computer. You can resize them however you want and move the windows forward or backward with a few simple gestures on the touchpad.
However, you can’t take windows and leave them around, and you can’t separate the glasses and the laptop. You can take both around and the screen will follow you and reorient itself quite accurately. And yet, if you want to communicate with the people around you, you have to take off your glasses or look at them through your nose, like some preppy kid on the beach peering in vain under his sunglasses.
Who is the Spacetop G1 for?
It’s a device built for ultra-multitaskers who demand more, more, and more screens. Yes, I’m one of those people who prefers the multi-screen life. Does that mean I need 100 inches and almost 180 degrees of real estate on the display to get my work done? Well, I thought I wasn’t, but then I’m surrounded by screens with just the tiniest pinch of weight on my nose, and despite myself, I could see myself popping up and adjusting to the AR-laptop lifestyle. I would become the worst weirdo you see sitting in the corner of your local Starbucks.
Astute CEO Tamir Berliner told Gizmodo there’s a lot to cover because the laptop hasn’t honestly changed after decades of design. Mobile computing has traveled such well-trodden paths for so long that no one thinks about innovation anymore. Still, this tried-and-true design is so established that people have a pretty good idea of exactly what they need from their laptop, and rightfully so. A bad keyboard or trackpad or slightly worse benchmarks can spell doom for any device when there’s always another device on the market that can meet those expectations.
In terms of specs, the Spacetop uses last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS8550, which supports the Adreno 740 GPU. It has 16 GB of RAM, but only a base of 128 GB of storage with more expensive options up to 102 GB. I’d love to do some direct benchmarks to compare it to other computers, but for what it’s worth, I didn’t find the device lagging or stuttering at all, despite using multiple windows on the screen at once.
The glasses include a pair of OLED displays with a 90 Hz refresh rate with a 50-degree field of view. The external sensors and optics have been slightly modified for the Spacetop G1, but overall they’re a nice, lightweight pair of AR glasses. I had no problem reading text on a page, and I didn’t notice any focusing or blurring as with small AR screens like Lenovo’s Legion Glasses. They also don’t offer the kind of field of view you’re used to with full VR headsets, meaning you’ll have to crane your neck more to see everything on your virtual desktop.
I would say the keyboard is the more important part of the design. If the basic typing experience doesn’t live up to expectations, I’d say the device might be DOA. The appearance of the keys first resembles Apple’s Magic Keyboard, but without any of the brand-specific keys you’re used to. It’s perhaps not the best typing experience I’ve had, with the keys feeling a bit hollow with minimal travel, but it wasn’t bad either. The trackpad is remarkable. It’s a nice smooth glass, big enough to facilitate the many gestures you need to control the UI.
What software does the Spacetop G1 use?
So, this all works, but the thing that bothers me the most is the software. Things were a little buggy during my demo, which is to be expected when the final release date is months away. Sightful’s developers told me that the operating system is based on a heavily modified version of AOSP (Android Open Source Project) that allows for multiple windows as well as mouse depth tracking. There is a bar at the bottom of your view where you can open apps. Currently, there are very few applications that run natively on Spacetop. For apps like Instagram or YouTube, use the browser version.
Berliner said he eventually wants to release some more AR-specific apps, though those are still in development and there’s no word on when we might see what Sightful has in store for its first true AR laptop. There’s so much to look at here, but one point I’ll put in the Spacetop’s favor is that despite that massive bump at the top of the laptop sleeve, it fits neatly into the laptop holder on my backpack. The cover snaps down with a satisfying click, and you don’t have to wind the cable in any specific way to get it to fit nice and snug.
Those who want to line up for one must bet $100 on company website deposit to be first in line when Spacetop finally comes out in October later this year. The device costs $1900, a high price for any mobile computer. However, if you wear glasses, you’ll have the chance to order a specific set of prescription lenses that attach magnetically to Spacetop’s AR glasses.
It’s best not to think of the Spacetop as an “augmented reality laptop,” at least for now. You won’t be dragging windows around the room with hand tracking like this $3500 Apple Vision Pro. There aren’t really any AR capabilities other than the floating screen that’s specifically connected to the laptop itself. But the screen is bright, and the tinted glasses allow work even in direct sunlight. That’s all we have to say: it’s an interesting, expensive new product that at least tries something new.
