Upcoming Telepathy One to surpass Google Glass?

Google has been consistently condemned over the stylistic design of Project Glass. Sure, it’s a bit geeky, but hey — who else other than geeks would spend over a thousand bucks to adopt an unproven tech so early? Still, the company is trying, reportedly working with designers to make the glasses more appealing.

Well, if you still don’t like the end result, at least another option has surfaced.

Meet Telepathy, a company that’s planning to take on Mountain View in the wearable tech department. Led by Japanese entrepreneur Takahito Iguchi, Telepathy says that plans are in the works to debut its own head-mounted device later this year — and, it notes, that unlike Glass, bespectacled people will be able take complete advantage of its features.

The most obvious difference with the Telepathy One is its form factor. Unlike Glass, which is worn on the front of the face like eyeglasses, this competitor circles around the back of the head and is secured by in-ear components. This allows people with to wear their eye wear with ease while using the device. In fact, the whole thing is actually situated a bit further away from the head, which might make it more comfortable to wear. As for what that design will do for the visual display coming from the display (which sits above the right eye), we’re not sure. Also in question is how secure those in-ear buds will be.

Speaking of which, since the earbuds interfere with ambient noise, this is clearly not something that’s designed to be worn 24-7. That can be either good or bad, depending on your point of view.

Details on what, exactly, the device will be used for are scant. Like Glass, it has an integrated camera, so image capture and likely video are on the menu. As for other features, the company seems to be sussing that out, courting developers to get creative with the device.

Also unknown is when the Telepathy One will actually launch and what it will cost. But, says the company, one thing is certain: It won’t have the wallet-busting pricetag of Google Glass.

What do you think? Are you intrigued by this contender, or do you have your sights set on Google’s facegear? Let us know in the comments.